More Than My Own Life
by A Thousand Undiscovered Stars
Summary: AU Breaking Dawn. Alice and Jasper never left, and there are no other hybrids in existence. What if the Volturi did decide to attack? And what would Bella give up to keep both her daughter and her family alive and safe? And without her family there to help her will she be able to resist the shadows that surround her or will she surrender to the Darkness? Bella/Rosalie
1. The End

Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me. I'm just borrowing the characters!

**A/N: Hey! So, I just can't get this idea out of my head, so I decided to give it a try. :) In this story, Alice and Jasper never left when Alice had her vision of the Volturi. There are NO other hybrids in existence. Jacob stood with the Cullens but he never imprinted on Renesmee. He sees her as a niece and Bella as a sister, despite her being a vampire. And the beginning of this story takes place when the Volturi are about to attack in Breaking Dawn. Enjoy!**

**Edited March 17, 2013**

**Chapter One: The End**

**Bella**

No! Inside my mind, I was screaming in agony as I looked across the field to where the Volturi stood. The three kings had made their decision: my daughter, my family, and all of my new friends were to die, immediately.

It felt like I was already dying inside. My family, who I loved more than anything, were about to die. Carlisle, who was the first civilized vampire and was so compassionate and kind. Esme, who was more of a mother to me than my biological mother and who was so loving and peaceful. Emmett, who was the big brother I never had and who was so playful and protective of his family, particularly his wife. Rosalie, who was my older sister even though our relationship didn't have the best start, the first to stand by me in my decision to keep my daughter no matter the consequences. Alice, the small pixie-like vampire who was both my sister and my best friend and who was so full of life that you couldn't help but smile around her. Jasper, who had tried so very hard to reign in his bloodlust around me when I was still human and who I would never have the chance to truly get to know. Edward... My love, my soul mate, and one of my reasons for existing. And then... My daughter, Renesmee... I loved her more than anything, even more than I loved Edward. Without my beautiful daughter in my life, I was nothing. I couldn't survive without her, and I would **not** allow her to die.

I shook my head infinitesimally. There had to be something that I could do. Then I realized that there very well might be something that I could do. Earlier, Aro had offered all of the more gifted vampires, such as Edward, Alice, and Jasper, a place in the Volturi guard. He had also offered a place to... Me. And I didn't need Edward's gift to see the absolute lust and pleading desperation that Aro felt at the thought of adding myself and my power to his little collection.

It was then that I knew what I had to do. Just thirty seconds had passed since I began having my realization, and everyone still stood in exactly the same place. However, I could see that the Volturi were getting ready to move on us. I carefully disentangled myself from Edward, and leaned up to where our daughter was sitting atop Jacob's wolf form.

"Renesmee... I love you, baby. You know that, right?" I asked softly when she leaned down towards me.

She nodded her head. "I know, Mommy. I love you, too," she said, in a voice equally as soft as my own.

I steeled myself before pressing my lips to her forehead. "Never forget that," I whispered, so that only she would hear me. Then, I turned, avoiding the gazes of my family, including Edward. I panicked then. Aro had obviously given some signal that the Volturi were to begin their attack because they began to advance slowly towards us.

"Wait!" I cried, blurring forward so that I stood in the middle of the space between our two groups. I turned sideways so that I could see both groups at the same time. The Volturi wore expressions of curiosity and slight frustration, but they stopped when Aro nodded. My family and the witnesses that we had gathered all wore expressions of shock and concern. Edward had actually had to be restrained by Emmett and Rosalie, who appeared to be acting more on instinct than conscious thought.

"Yes, my dear?" Aro asked, clearly wondering what I was doing. That man always did seem to have an extreme amount of curiosity. It was very nearly unhealthy, even by vampire standards.

I took a deep breath before turning to fully face him, moving slowly toward him until a mere ten feet of space separated us. "If I were to join you, would you leave my family alone, allow them to live?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.

I could hear gasps of horror from behind me and more than one cry of "No!", but it was the expression on Aro's face that disturbed me the most. His eyes glowed with pleasure and triumph, and, on the whole, he appeared almost deliriously happy at my words as a grin worked its way steadily onto his face.

Aro laughed quietly. "Why, my dear Isabella, we would be delighted to have you join us. But..." he paused. "How do I know that you will remain with us?" he asked, a flicker of regret crossing his face.

I sighed deeply before walking forward. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't mean that I had to like it. "I've learned to lift my shield from my mind. Now, if I allow you to see my thoughts, do you swear to take me with you and never interfere in my family's life again?" I asked steadily and Aro's eyes gleamed as he eagerly reached for my hand. I was reminded of the way Edward had compared his lust for my blood to his own personal brand of heroine. I thought the comparison would work nicely in this instance as well because Aro appeared every bit the crazed addict as he overeagerly reached for my palm.

"Yes, Isabella, you have my word. We will not harm your family in any way, now or in the future," he said and I turned to seek out one of the witnesses, ignoring my family's faces. It would only make this all the more difficult if I were to see the worry and hurt on their faces.

When I found the one I was searching for (Maggie), I spoke. "Is he telling the truth?" I asked and saw a look of pain on her face.

She sighed. "Yes... Yes, he's telling the truth," Maggie whispered and I nodded.

"Very well, then," I said, focusing until I could lift my shield and clasping my hand in Aro's. He gasped as my thoughts flooded his mind. He wore a delighted expression as I struggled to keep my shield from covering my mind. When he nodded and released me, I gratefully allowed my shield to snap back into place. "Well?" I asked tiredly.

Aro laughed, stepping back from me and turning to face his guard. "Santiago," he called and a tall vampire with dark hair and the expected ruby-red eyes stepped forward, holding small bundle of fabric.

"Master," Santiago said, bowing his head respectfully as he handed the fabric to Aro before returning to his former place within the Volturi's ranks.

"Everyone," Aro called loudly, in an excited tone. "Today, we welcome Isabella into our ranks," he exclaimed before turning and shaking out the piece of fabric. I could now see that it was cloak of pure black, the exact shade that Aro, the other two leaders, and the wives wore. "Welcome to the Volturi, Isabella," he said and I took a deep breath.

This was it. This was what I had to do to save my family. And I would do it, no matter what it cost me. I knew exactly what was expected of me when I put that cloak on, and still I would do it. From this point on, I belonged to Aro; I was one of his possessions, a prized piece of his collection and he would not be eager to let me go any time soon, if ever. But it had to be done.

I reached out and took the cloak, quickly putting it on and fastening the clasp at my neck. I took one more, unnecessary breath before bowing to Aro. "Thank you, Master," I murmured, once more ignoring the sounds of dry-sobbing which I could hear going on behind me. I knew that Edward must be in shock at this point.

Aro grinned at me before facing the guard once more. "Everyone, I believe it is time that we return home to Volterra. Carlisle, friends, it has been a pleasure seeing you once more," he called and, as one, everyone but Aro, Jane, and Demetri began quickly disappearing into the woods. "Come along, Isabella," Aro said to me as he turned and began to retreat across the field.

I hesitated for only a moment before I turned back to face my family. I looked at each of them, taking in their devastated expressions. I almost flinched at the look that I saw in Edward's eyes. It was the same look he held throughout the majority of my pregnancy with Renesmee. Oh, Renesmee! I could feel my still heart shattering as I thought of her, but I reminded myself that this was the only way. This was the only way that I could save her, that she could live.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my shield and called to him in my mind. **Edward. I had to do this. It was the only way and you know it. I couldn't let them kill her or you, not to mention all of our family and friends. I love all of you far too much to ever even consider allowing that to happen. Please, don't mourn me. Be there for her. Live for her. She needs you, and I need you to be strong for her. Please, Edward, promise me that you will do your best to ensure both yours' and Renesmee's happiness. I know that we promised each other forever, but forever's just not as long as we thought. If you find the chance to love again, to be loved again, take it. Do it for me because even if we can't be together, you know that I desire your happiness. So, please, let me go,** I pleaded in my mind and I watched as resolve and determination appeared aside the love in his amber gaze and he nodded solemnly at me. **I love you,** I added before allowing my shield back into place.

Next, I looked to my daughter, my baby. She was so very beautiful, absolutely perfect, really. But I could see the worry and concern in her chocolate gaze, and it was nearly enough to make me flinch. She was extremely advanced for her age, but she still didn't quite understand. She knew that I was going away and I could see it tearing her apart inside. And I hated myself for doing that to her, but I would do anything to save her life. I knew that she would forget. She didn't have a fully developed photographic memory yet and, though she may look years old, she was really only a few months out of my womb. I smiled at her, trying to convey all of the love I held for her in that one gaze.

I had never told anyone this, but the two of us held a special connection. We couldn't quite read each other's minds, but we were extraordinarily in tune with one another. And now I used that connection to send her all of the pure adoration and love that I felt for her. I saw her eyes lighten a bit and she returned my smile. I had never tried it before but I did now. I focused all of my will and pushed a few simple words to her. Simple, but vital. **I love you, baby.** I could see that she received it as her smile widened just a bit and her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. **I love you, too, Mommy,** she sent back and I had to swallow back a sob. I had to break our gaze. All of this had occurred in just a few seconds, but if I didn't look away now, then I knew that I wouldn't leave. I just wouldn't be capable of it.

Finally, I looked to the remainder of my family. There really was nothing that I could say, so I kept to the main things I wanted them to know. "I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I love you, all of you," I said, looking back over them all until stopping when my gaze rested on Esme. "More than my own life," I added and saw love and sadness mingle in her eyes. Esme truly was my mother, and she was the only one that I had shown Renesmee's locket to before I gave it to her, which is why I knew that she would understand. Esme nodded to me once, giving me a small smile. That was the last thing that I saw before I turned and, flanked by Jane and Demetri, followed after Aro and the rest of the Volturi.

That was the end of my happiness. That was the end of my love. And, in a way, that was the end of my life. Because, with every step that I took away from them, I felt myself, both my body and my soul, dying a little bit more. **Yes,** I thought to myself,** this is the end.**

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Phew! Well, what do you think? I feel pretty good about the direction that I can go in with this story. So, review, and include your thoughts and ideas for the upcoming chapters! Also, this will feature a Dark Bella. The next chapter should be up in the next couple of days. :D Now, hit the button and review!**

**A/N 3/17: Now that I'm editing the story, I've decided to make it a definite Rosalie/Bella pairing. I apologize if that upsets you, but I'm sure of my decision. I hope you'll continue reading, but I can understand if you choose not to. Thanks for reading, everyone.**


	2. She's Gone

**Edited March 17, 2013**

**Chapter Two: She's Gone**

All of the Cullen's stood together, waiting for the Volturi's attack. None of them particularly noticed Bella's conversation with her daughter. However, they were all stunned when, as the Volturi began to advance, Bella cried out and blurred into the middle of the field. It was pure reflex on Emmett and Rosalie's parts to stop Edward from pursuing her.

They all listened in horror, each of them crying out in denial at one point or another. They couldn't help it. They were devastated. Bella had just basically sold herself to the Volturi to prevent them from killing her family...

It wasn't right. They should have been able to do something, to stop it somehow, but they couldn't. There was nothing that they could do...

**Emmett**

Rose and I automatically stopped Edward as Bella went to the center of the space between us and our enemies. You know, I'm really not as stupid as I seem. I had a feeling that I knew exactly what she was doing. She was going to sacrifice herself so that we could live. And it was oh so wrong. She shouldn't have to do this... But, I'm selfish enough that, since it means that my Rose and the rest of our family will live... A part of me is glad that she did because I would do anything to protect them, but there was nothing I could do this time. Only she could.

Bella is the true little sister that I always wanted. She puts up with my childishness and my teasing and she indulges me more than the others because she never got to be a kid, really, and she always longed for that sibling bond the same way I did. She's my little sister, and I love her. I would do anything to protect her, but this time... This time, she's the one protecting all of us, and I can't help but love her all the more for it.

**Jasper**

I could feel everyone's emotions just as I felt my own chaotic emotions. They were nearly overpowering. I could feel all of their pain, anguish, and love as we all watched Bella make a sacrifice greater than death, so that we might live. But Bella herself was feeling resolved and full of love for our family. I knew that she wouldn't let them see just how much it hurt her, because it did hurt her. Not in a sharp way, more in a way that was like a constant dull ache in her heart. I knew this because I could feel her pain echo in my own chest. I loved Bella just as much as the rest of the family, and I would miss my little sister. The little sister that I never got to know. I knew of her selflessness, her care for all of our family. I knew of her insight and her perceptiveness. But I had missed out on so much time with her because the smell of her blood when she was human was so overwhelming to me. And I couldn't help but mourn that I would never be given the opportunity to really get to know her the way I wanted to. Still, I loved her. She was my little sister and I would miss her. I would miss her a lot.

**Carlisle**

Oh, Bella... I watched in sadness as my old friend, Aro, officially accepted my daughter-in-law into the Volturi. I shook my head and frowned. I knew that Aro would never let Bella go. She had power and, above all else, Aro coveted power. He would keep her in the Volturi at any expense. I knew that he would keep his word and allow us to remain undisturbed, but our poor, sweet Bella would pay the price. I had lived with the Volturi for a time, and I knew that she would not find it to her liking in any way whatsoever. Oh, god…

I was in agony as something occurred to me. Aro had tried for years to convert me to "our natural diet", but he had obviously been unsuccessful and I knew that it rankled him. Now… Now, there was no doubt in my mind that he would take out that frustration on Bella. Sweet, innocent Bella who was more humane than any of us – and Aro was going to turn her into a monster. I shook my head sharply, grief flooding through me. No. I wouldn't think that way. She was strong and I had to have faith that she would be alright. I truly was going to miss her, we all were. Oh, Bella...

**Alice**

Bella... This wasn't supposed to happen! I didn't see this! Then again, of course I didn't see it. The wolves are here, which means that I couldn't get a vision to save my undead life. But still, this was my best friend, my sister, my Bella Barbie! I felt myself sobbing. I didn't want to let her go, but there was nothing that I could do... Bella was my only true friend. As a vampire, humans know to avoid us, and my family avoids others of our kind because they don't live the way that we do. I felt so... helpless. They were taking away my sister. And there was nothing that I could do...

I shuddered, clinging to Jasper. I had seen what his years in the newborn armies had been like for Jasper. It had all but ruined him. And now Bella was a part of the Volturi Guard. I couldn't even imagine what that would do to her, and I mourned her fate even as I stood in awe of her sacrifice. My poor little sister…

**Edward**

NO! As I watched my wife stand between our family and the Volturi, I was horrified. What was she doing? And then she began to speak... And it was like my long-dead heart shattered in a single instant. She couldn't, she wouldn't... But she did. Bella! I cried in my mind. I couldn't help but wonder. Is this how she felt when I left her? If so, then I didn't understand how she survived it.

Then, after everyone but Bella, Aro, Jane, and Demetri had gone, she turned to face us. Her eyes flickered over everyone's faces before she stopped on me. It was then that I heard it – Bella's mind. I nearly gasped. She had said that she learned to remove her shield but I hadn't realized it before. Now, I was stunned, but I didn't waste time contemplating it as I would have otherwise seeing as I was too intent on hearing what she was telling me.

**Edward. I had to do this. It was the only way and you know it. I couldn't let them kill her or you, not to mention all of our family and friends. I love all of you far too much to ever even consider allowing that to happen. Please, don't mourn me. Be there for her. Live for her. She needs you, and I need you to be strong for her. Please, Edward, promise me that you will do your best to ensure both yours' and Renesmee's happiness. I know that we promised each other forever, but forever's just not as long as we thought. If you find the chance to love again, to be loved again, take it. Do it for me because even if we can't be together, you know that I desire your happiness. So, please, let me go, **I heard her pleading in my mind and I found that I couldn't deny her this. I would do as she asked, and I would try to let her go. I owed her that much. I would always care for her, but it was time to let her go. Our daughter needed me and I would be there for her as best I could. **I love you,** she added, and then she was gone from my mind.

I felt my cold heart throb then, as she walked away from me. But the sensation was dulled by my gratitude. I was such a fool for so obstinately trying to remove my angelic daughter from Bella's womb before she was born. Now, I saw the error of my ways when I looked on her gorgeous child-like features. She was my daughter – our daughter – and in doing this Bella was ensuring her safety, her life. A small, sad smile lifted my lips. Thank you, I thought fervently. Goodbye, my love, my Bella...

**Rosalie**

As I watched Bella sacrifice herself, I was silent. There were no words. She was giving up everything so that we could live, so that her daughter could live. And for that I respected her more than anyone else on this entire planet.

But I was in agony as I watched her walk away. I couldn't understand it, couldn't comprehend it, but I could clearly feel the fissure forming in my long-dead heart. It felt as though a piece of my soul was ripping itself away.

I knew that nothing would be the same after this. How could it when she would no longer be here? I found myself swamped by a tidal wave of regret and shame as I thought of my past attitude towards Bella. It was true what I had told her. I had never hated Bella. She just brought out such strong emotions in me and I found myself inexplicably overcome with jealousy and annoyance whenever I saw her with Edward. I didn't know why, but I regretted it now. Oh, how I regretted it.

Because now she was gone. I knew that I had helped her during her pregnancy and I could never express to her how much it meant to me that she came to me for help. And now I would never get the chance. Because she was gone. And she was never coming back.

**Esme**

It felt like my very being was shattering. My Bella, my beautiful daughter, had just made a deal with those Volturi bastards to save all of our lives. But, in exchange, Bella had to give up her freedom. She was doomed to remain with the Volturi...

I shook my head, my eyes filled with venom tears that would never fall as I shook with quiet, tearless sobs. I loved all of my children, but I admit that I had a special place in my heart for Bella. All of the others, I had met when they were already vampires, but Bella...

Bella was human, and she needed me in a way that I always imagined that my human baby would have needed me when he grew up. She was warm and soft, and the instant that we met I could feel a connection between us. She truly was my daughter, my baby girl, in a way that Rosalie and Alice never had been. And besides that, Bella was my youngest, the baby out of all my children and I loved her with all my heart, cold and silent though it was.

Then, when Bella was changed, after she had her own baby... It was as though life was perfect. I had gained both a new granddaughter and my baby girl had joined us in immortality, all in the course of a single month. But then all of this happened. And now she was leaving.

I watched as Bella turned to face us, her eyes skimming across our faces before settling on Edward. I suspected that she had removed her shield for a moment, in order to give Edward a more private goodbye. I sighed heartbrokenly. I was losing her, my baby...

After she was done speaking to Edward through her thoughts, Bella shared a momentary gaze with her own baby before she once more glanced over all of us as she began to speak. "I'm sorry," she started and I could tell that she truly meant it. She always was too selfless, my sweet girl. "I love you, all of you," she went on and I felt a warmth rise up in me, mixed with sadness before Bella's gaze locked with mine and she completed her goodbye. "More than my own life," she said and I understood.

She had shown me Renesmee's locket. On it was the inscription "Plus Que Ma Propre Vie." It meant exactly what Bella had said – _More Than My Own Life_. When I first asked her why she was inspired to buy it, she had explained me to that it was a perfect representation of her feelings for not only her daughter but all of us. She said that she would do anything for us, that she loved us quite literally more than her own life. And she had certainly proven it today, much to my despair.

As we watched Bella follow Aro into the forest and disappear from our sight, my thoughts were burdened by sadness and resolve. "Oh, Bella, my daughter. Do not despair. We will find a way to save you from this fate, no matter how long it takes. I promise you. And... I love you, my Bella, my beautiful, my baby girl," I thought to myself. And I was resolved that it would be so. We **would **save Bella, no matter how long it took or what we had to do. I would be reunited with my daughter once more. I would stake my immortal existence on it.

But as the grief and loss washed over me, I couldn't focus on that right now. Because I had once again lost one of my children. My daughter... She was gone.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Okay, so this is basically the first chapter from the rest of the family's point of views. Next chapter, we'll see Bella with the Volturi and it will skip quite a few years into the future. Anyway, thanks for reading, now review please! :D**

**A/N 3/17: Alright, I feel a little better about this chapter. Hope you all like it, too. Let me know what you think!**


	3. This Is How It Is

**Edited March 17, 2013**

**Chapter Three: This Is How It Is**

**Bella**

I sighed indifferently as I entered my chambers on the second floor of the Volturi castle, glancing uninterestedly over the sparse décor. The walls were a glossy black color with crimson accents scattered throughout the room. I honestly had no opinion whatsoever on the appearance of my dwelling. Why should I? I held no interest in it and this was merely the place that I spent my scant amounts of time between missions.

I frowned just slightly. What a difference a century makes, I mused wryly. To be frank, anyone that had known me before would not recognize me – literally. My physical appearance was much altered. My hair, which before was a chestnut brown, was now as black as the deepest shadows on a moonless night. I had grown taller and now stood at five foot eight. As well, my eyes were a deep, menacing onyx to match my ebony tresses. In addition, whereas before I was merely beautiful, now I was the very epitome of perfection and it irritated me to no end because of the problems it caused me…

Still, it was not my physical alterations that would shock those who knew me previously – it was my personality. Before I may have been described as caring, sweet; selfless. However, that description would appear laughable to any who knew me now. The two were utterly irreconcilable. That… that was Bella. I was Isabella. I was cold, uncaring, and prone to rage. My lips tightened into a thin line as I felt a flicker of ire, thinking of the ones that made me this way.

_**Flashback**_  
_**  
Day 1 in Volterra**_

_When we arrived in Volterra, Aro had Jane, Alec, and Dimitri take me to an empty room on the first sublevel of the castle and stand guard outside the door. Once I was inside, I merely waited to see what my fate would be._

_I was unsure how long I was there but I knew that it was a long time. As time passed, I grew thirsty and the burn in my throat flared up with increasing regularity. I didn't much care. All that I could think of was my family, try as I might to stop._

_I had no way of measuring time. Every once in a while, the guards outside my door would switch. I remained still and silent, and the thirst grew steadily. There was no light and I took comfort in the shadows, which soothed the raging thirst._

_Eventually, it became too much. No longer could I remain still. I was thirsty. I was furious. And I ensured that they knew._

_I rose suddenly, flashing over to the door and attempting to wrest it open. It didn't budge. I frowned, pulling once more. Again, it made no movement. I snarled this time, growling loudly. I held tight to the door handles. "Let. Me. Out!" Each word was punctuated by a sharp tug on the immovable entranceway._

_It was then that I heard it, or rather him. Aro. His laughter echoed from beyond the closed doors, but I realized now that the sound was muffled and through my rage I was puzzled._

"_It is quite useless to expend your effort this way Isabella," Aro said in amusement and I snarled._

"_Why?" I demanded. My thirst was all-consuming at this point and left no room for caution, much less even the most basic form of respect._

_Aro sighed disappointedly. "Manners, Isabella, manners," he chided me mockingly, making me growl in the back of my throat though I remained silent. What was wrong with him? I needed out. I needed __**blood.**_

_I gritted my teeth, determined to find a way out. I would go insane if I didn't. "Aro, let me out," I said lowly and he chuckled quietly._

"_I'm afraid that I can't do that just yet Isabella. Your time is not up yet. However, it is time that you began focusing," he said gleefully and immediately I became suspicious, wary. Already, I could feel myself changing, but I clung to the remnants of my former life with my family. The bond was wearing thin, though._

"_Focus on what?" I asked harshly and he chuckled._

"_Lucifer, would you do the honors, my son?" Aro asked eagerly and I took a brief millisecond to wonder at his words. Son?_

_But there was no time to think on it as a haughty, malicious voice replied, "Of course, father. It's time she began learning her place, her powers." If I had been able, I would have wondered at what the voice – Lucifer – said. But I was not able. As he finished speaking, I was overcome by something unlike anything I had ever experienced before._

_There was no comparison. Edward leaving me – it was inconsequential. The pain of being changed – it was a ray of warmest sun on a brisk fall day. My thirst, having accumulated over an unknown amount of time – it was to me as delightful as the sweet summer air to a human. Being locked away in this room with only the shadows as my companions without escape – it was a gift which I would accept gladly a thousand times over._

_There was no transition for me. I was in paradise. I was in hell. The fires of the underworld licked at me with burning, seething hatred. Lightning seared my soul, leaving only wrath, pain, even madness. Power surged within me, a torrential see of abilities that flowed into me, ever-increasing in number and strength._

_There was nothing. Nothing but an abyss of insanity and torment. I held no more sense of self than a single pebble – it was lost to the void. There was no time, no space, nothing but the torturous flames which devoured me and the darkness which consumed me._

_And then the voices came, in whispers and in murmurs._

_**This is your power… Embrace the flames… You are mine… Surrender to the darkness… You are lost… You belong to me now, Isabella…**_

_The voices were ever-present. The pain was too dominant to allow me to know if they ever changed or if they stayed the same. It was unimportant. The haze was eternal, in my mind, and all that I could do was endure. And the whispers continued. Until one day, they stopped. And then…_

_It all went away._

_The pain disappeared, leaving only a frigid coldness and the ubiquitous darkness. I was still, then. A long time, I did not dare to move. However, eventually, I sat up. I saw nothing, heard nothing… felt nothing. Yet, I remembered._

_I remembered all that occurred in my past life. It seemed very far away now, despite the clarity of my memory. Trivial, in fact. Except for __**her**__. No, never __**her**__, who I did this for._

_And then there was the more recent – I assumed it was recent, at least. The Volturi. Aro. Lucifer._

_I stood, moving to where I knew the fixed doors to be. Yet this time, as I reached to open them, I heard a small click as they unlatched. I should have been surprised, elated, something; I wasn't._

_I opened the door and, for the first time in an immeasurable amount of time, I was bathed in the glow of light – the distant glow of an artificial light, to be sure, but light nonetheless. _

_Indifferently, I made my way down the corridor and, before long, I happened across Jane. I gazed on her without feeling or interest. I was there, she was there; it did not matter._

_I saw the flicker of surprise in her eyes as she looked at me, but she did not comment and neither did I. Instead, I followed as she wordlessly turned and began to lead me down the corridor and then up a staircase to the floor above._

_Ultimately, we arrived in a round room which I recognized from my blurred human memories – the throne room. Upon their seats of authority sat the three Brothers – Aro, Marcus, Caius. Jane immediately swept forth into the center of the room before bowing her head to them. I followed disinterestedly._

_Aro grinned like the cat that ate the canary as he took in my appearance. "Well, mia cara, I must say you do look ravishing," he complimented me. I made no reply and he raised one eyebrow slightly before shaking his head._

"_Ah, well," he sighed. "No matter. Tell me, can you feel your powers?" he demanded eagerly. I was given no chance to reply as a voice erupted from behind me._

"_Of course she does, father. I will have made sure of that, as well as the Bond." The voice was arrogant, mocking. I recognized it. Lucifer. Lucifer, who instigated the Fiery Hell which tormented me. _

_All else was inconsequential, without importance in my eyes. But this voice. This voice roused my dormant emotions – but not as they had been before. No. Now, there was only rage, hatred, contempt… I was no tame and civilized vampire, no longer the angel I had been called before. I was a furious and wild entity, and if I were to be called an angel now I would be the most fallen of all the angels._

_Instantly, my fury reached its peak. I sprang – and was instantly frozen by the voice. __**Stop,**__ it commanded, and I froze without intention or thought. My ire reached new heights as I found myself unable to move._

_Aro chuckled delightedly. "You cannot fight it, Isabella. You are Bound to me by darkness and shadows," he informed me gleefully and my jaw clenched. The voice. It was him. Aro. Which meant… __**"You belong to me now, Isabella,"**__ Aro told me, and I heard the words both physically and mentally._

_That was it. The tenuous links that remained to who I was before were dissolved, lost in time and space. I was no longer Bella Cullen._

_**I hope you'll enjoy your new title, **__Aro sent mockingly. "Welcome to the Volturi, Isabella Shadow Volturi," he said condescendingly. __**Do not forget to address me as 'Master', my pet.**_

_My jaw clenched. "Thank you, Master." That was the day Bella Cullen died. That was the day that Isabella Shadow Volturi rose from her ashes. That was the day the darkness consumed me. No, I was no angel. I was fallen._

_**End Flashback**_

**Esme**

I sighed as I sat out in the forest, far enough away that I could no longer hear anything from the house. I just couldn't bear to be there any longer, not now that we're back in Forks, not after what happened here so long ago.

It's been nearly a hundred years since... since my daughter sacrificed herself to the Volturi. Only once, in all that time, have we received word of her, and even then it wasn't any kind of personal greeting. It was a stack of divorce papers, signed by Bella, with a note from Aro attached. It said that, if Edward was sensible, he would sign the papers. Needless to say, he signed.

Every day that had gone by without my being able to see her had hurt me immeasurably. I love all of my children, but I will admit that I held, and still hold, a special love for my youngest child. I can't even imagine what she must have gone through, all this time, with the Volturi...

I shook my head in annoyance and let out a low, frustrated growl before sighing once more. I came out here to escape the memories of Bella that the house brought up, and found myself unable to **stop **thinking of her once I was out here.

Well, I might as well go back, I thought. I ran quickly back to the house. When I arrived, everyone was sitting in the living room, with stunned and concerned looks on their faces. I immediately felt my heart fill with dread, but I made my way over to Carlisle and forced myself to speak.

"What's wrong? Carlisle?" I asked and everyone's heads snapped around to look at me before I noticed that my husband held a piece of heavy, parchment-looking paper in his hands. "What is that?" I asked him and he sighed, holding it out to me wordlessly.

I looked down at it and gasped, but I wasn't sure if I should be horrified or excited. It was an invitation, from the Volturi, to a ball that they were throwing in honor of their newest guard member's first century with them, their newest guard member, Bella. My mouth opened in a brief, wordless cry.

Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella.

Everything was silent for a moment. I felt like I could spontaneously combust. Suddenly, I shot to my feet. "We have to go," I said firmly, and they all looked at me.

I could easily read the emotions on all of their faces. Emmett was eager, clearly excited by the prospect of seeing his little sister again, no matter the circumstances. He and Rosalie were no longer together, having drifted apart and agreed mutually that they were not mates as they originally suspected. He was saddened by the loss of his baby sister, and now I could see the glint in his eyes as he thought of this opportunity.

Rosalie, my dear Rosalie, showed the first true spark of feeling for something other than Renesmee for the first time in nearly a century. She had taken everything infinitely harder than anyone would have thought. She had spiraled downwards and her grief was depthless. But now, now there was light in her eyes. It was as though she had come back from the dead and a fire burned in her eyes.

Jasper looked slightly pleased, despite the obvious turmoil that he was feeling from all of the emotions in the room. My poor son suffered so much from his gift.

Contrarily, Alice look like she'd like to start jumping up and down and dancing around the room. She had been so subdued for so long that it was nearly shocking to see her this way. If I wasn't a vampire, I may not have remembered what it was like.

Carlisle appeared to be both happy and concerned, and I knew that he would be wondering how Bella would have fared with his old friends. He was so very compassionate to all, but right now he was every bit the concerned father and I loved him for it.

Renesmee...

Renesmee was curious and confused, and I corrected my thought from earlier. We received only **one **letter from Bella, and it contained only a single, small paragraph:

_You must allow her to forget about me. Take care of her, teach her, care for her. Love her as I cannot. This is the last thing I will ask of you. Do not speak of me in her presence. She deserves more._

– _Isabella_

And, though it pained us greatly, we respected her wishes, and we loved that girl more than anyone could have imagined. But we still weren't Bella. So, now, we had been summoned to Volterra to celebrate on of the Volturi guards, and Renesmee had no idea that that guard was her mother. More than that, if Bella ever chose to make her identity known to Renesmee, then her daughter's first impression of her would be as one of the celebrated guards of the Volturi, a group that she held a great distrust of and dislike for.

I sighed. My poor Bella. She truly was the most selfless person that I had ever met. I could not imagine what she must have been through in all this time. I then looked to my "firstborn", Edward, displeasure running through my still, cold veins.

After his divorce from Bella, it was as though he became an entirely different person – or, maybe he just finally showed us the person that he had always been. It pained me to believe that my "oldest child" had always been such a spoiled brat, because that's all that he was, really. He was arrogant and childish and, to be honest, quite annoying. Right now, he wore an inscrutable expression as he held his **wife **close to him. Yes, Edward married again.

I looked at her – Tanya Denali. She wore an expression of obvious displeasure. She knew of Edward and Bella's history, and she went to great lengths to avoid the subject. Tanya had always seemed a sweet girl, but now I saw her for what she was – an immature, spoiled little harlot. I sighed mentally, before shaking my head.

I turned to my husband once more. "Carlisle?" I asked and he looked at me, a smile automatically coming to his face.

He nodded slowly. "We will go to Volterra," he said and everyone but Renesmee, Edward, and Tanya smiled and relaxed before blurring upstairs to pack. We had been invited to stay in the palace for the last month before the event took place, so we wanted to get ready as quickly as possible.

I made my way up to my own room with Carlisle by my side and our hands twined together. He leaned over and kissed my cheek as we entered our bedroom.

"It'll be alright, my darling. We're going to see her again," he murmured and I smiled brightly at him before kissing him quickly, and we parted to pack our own things.

Yes. He was right. We were going to Volterra, and I would see her again. My beautiful baby girl, my Bella.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: There you have it – the third chapter! :D Now that I've got most of the basic background information, I'll start really getting into the story in the next couple of chapters. Thanks for reading, now review, please! Thanks, girls and guys! ;)**

**A/N 3/17: Okay. Obviously there have been some major changes to the story. However, I hope you'll all enjoy the slightly new direction. It's still the same basic idea – I'm just refining it. :D Anyway, review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Re-Introductions

**Edited March 18, 2013**

**Chapter Four: Re-Introductions**

**Bella**

I frowned in slight irritation. Aro had summoned me to the throne room and I held no desire whatsoever to be subjected to the trivial games which he was so fond of playing.

I sighed as I approached the doors, automatically pulling my hood up and over my head. I had been instructed early on to always ensure that that was done. Indeed, per Aro's wishes, I was the absolute embodiment of the quintessential Volturi member. I wore black, form-fitting pants; a blood-red tank top; black leather boots with a 3-inch stiletto heel; and my long, ebony Volturi cloak. Well, I thought dryly, I certainly matched. The majority of my clothes were black, matching not only my dark disposition but also my onyx eyes.

My head snapped up as I placed my hand on the door handle. I could hear them. They were here. My frown deepened slightly. They were not supposed to be here. **She **wasn't supposed to be here, I thought irately. My temper was rising and I forced myself to cool down as I paused for an imperceptible moment.

I hesitated no longer, pushing the door open and striding in. I did not pause as I passed them, looking at the floor the entire time, and went to kneel on one knee before Aro's throne, biting back a snarl as I did so.

"Ah, here she is!" Aro cried, an amused glint lighting up his eyes. "Mea Simulacrum Sicarius," he murmured and I heard them shift uneasily behind me.

Aro stood and moved to stand beside me as he spoke. "Friends, I have prepared your quarters and I'm sure that mia cara will be happy to show you to them. But, first..." he paused, his voice saturated with an unusual amount of eagerness – even for him. I knew that he was enjoying every second of this. Sick bastard. I did not care for their discomfort, as I knew that they would be absolutely uncomfortable – of that, I had no doubt. No, it was his audacity in bringing her here. Yet, I of all people knew how deep his heartlessness and cruelty ran. "I believe introductions are in order. Rise, mia cara," he told me and I did, turning to face them with my head held low so that they couldn't see my face yet.

I glared at Aro out of the corner of my eye. The ancient vampire, as I knew, had no mercy. He would embolden their discomfort with nothing less than absolute, vile glee. Yet it had no effect on me so long as she was left alone. They must fend for themselves.

Aro went on, then. "I can guarantee you that she knows all of your names," he teased, reaching for my hood. "But allow me to introduce you to Isabella Shadow Volturi," he finished, flinging my hood back as I raised my face.

I inclined my head slightly, my voice cold with my disinterest. I greeted them without ceremony or emotion. I was indifferent to them – all but her. She held that final, light place in my cold, cruel heart. "Hello, Cullens."

**Esme**

When we arrived at the Volturi Castle in Volterra, we were directed to the throne room by Jane, who then left very quickly with a slight flash of worry in her eyes. We all stood in a close group, facing Aro.

"Carlisle, my dear Cullens," Aro greeted us, remaining seated. "I'm so glad that you decided to join us. Welcome," he said and Carlisle took a step forward to speak.

"Hello, Aro, Caius, Marcus," Carlisle said, inclining his head to the Three Kings.

Aro spoke up again a second later, appearing particularly excited about something. At the moment, I really didn't care what he had to say. I just wanted to see Bella, my girl. Still, I couldn't exactly ignore him, so I stayed silent and listened.

"Someone will be joining us in a moment and will see to your needs," he said and, as he ceased speaking, we heard a pair of quick, light steps out in the hall. I didn't even dare to hope it was her. It couldn't be. Aro would never be so kind, though he appeared to be all smiles.

I heard the person stop outside the door for a nearly unnoticeable milli-second before the doors opened to reveal a black-cloaked figure. I could **feel** the power radiating out from this person and it almost made me shiver. The vampire strode quickly towards Aro, stopping to kneel in front of him.

I could practically hear my heart breaking all over again as I realized that I had been correct. It wasn't Bella. This person had a completely different scent. Bella had always smelled of lavender and freesia, whereas whoever this was smelled of vanilla and a soft, intoxicating scent that I could only describe as pure and total darkness.

I refocused my attention as Aro spoke. "Ah, here she is! Mea Simulacrum Sicarius," he murmured, and we all shifted at the words. He had called this person, whom I now knew was a woman, his Shadow Assassin. I could practically have shuddered at the words, their connotations were so menacing.

Aro stood and moved to stand beside the woman. "Friends, I have prepared your quarters and I'm sure that mia cara will be happy to show you to them. But, first..." he paused and I got the feeling that he was trying to stretch this out as he waited before speaking again. "I believe introductions are in order. Rise, mia cara," he told her and she turned to face us. "I can guarantee you that she knows all of your names," he told us, and it was as if he was teasing us. And I didn't need to have Jasper's gift to feel the confusion surrounding me right now. She knew us? Who was she? I could only think of one possibility, but it couldn't be...

Aro once again interrupted my thoughts. "But allow me to introduce you to Isabella Shadow Volturi," he finished, flinging the woman's hood back as she raised her head to face us.

I was in shock. It couldn't be. It wasn't. I would say that it was impossible, but I knew that it wasn't. It was true, but I didn't want to believe it. It was... her...

She inclined her head slightly before speaking in a voice that was as smooth and silky as it was cold and mocking. "Hello, Cullens," she said, and I couldn't help it. I gasped as I finally processed my thoughts and what I was seeing.

It was her. It was Bella. Bella was the Shadow Assassin. Bella just spoke to us in a way that made it sound as if she didn't care about us at all. Bella referred to us as "Cullens". Bella's new name was Isabella Shadow Volturi. And – Bella... Bella's beautiful golden eyes were now a dim, shadowy black which nearly sent a shiver down my spine as I took in the malice in them. I also noticed that, as impossible as it was, Bella was certainly more beautiful now. Her hair, which previously was a rich mahogany, was now a lustrous black. Her features were more perfect than any vampires. Her eyes were more vibrant. Everything about her was just... more. And, honestly, if I were to make a comparison, I would compare her obvious superiority to us to our superiority to humans. My mind processed all of this information in a single second once I unfroze, and I could now see Aro smirking at us, obviously pleased with our reaction.

He turned to face Bella. "Isabella, tesoro, would you show the Cullens to their rooms?" he asked, though I knew that it was truly a command and not a question.

Bella merely nodded curtly before sweeping towards the doors that she had entered through and calling back to us. "This way," she commanded unfeelingly and we immediately started after her, prodded into action by the superiority and power in her voice.

We followed in silence as she led us through the many twisting halls, which were all full of doors, paintings, and even a few of the other guards, taking us up onto the second level of the castle. My mind felt like it was whirling. I didn't know what to feel exactly. I was oh so glad to have found my darling daughter, but she was so... different. After my initial shock, I began to fear that she would no longer accept us as her family, that she would no longer want **me **as her mother.

After some time, we seemed to reach our destination as Bella slowed down before turning to face us. I couldn't read her expression, but her voice when she spoke was no different from when we were in the throne room.

"To my left is Alice and Jasper's room; to my right is Emmett's room," she said before disappearing to reappear twenty feet down the hallway. "On the left is Edward and Tanya's room, and on the right is Renesmee's room," she went on, disappearing once more only to reappear about fifty yards away from us now. "This will be Carlisle and Esme's room. To the right are Rosalie's chambers," she instructed us all coolly, without emotion or inflection and I felt agony flare up in me.

We all stood frozen in place for a moment, and I barely kept my jaw from dropping. Bella had just teleported all the way down the hall. I shook my head slightly, forcing the thought from my mind. I would think about it later. Everyone was still silent, so Carlisle decided to take the initiative.

"Thank you. I'm sure that this will be fine," he said and I could hear the strain in his voice as he forced himself to speak to one of the girls that he considered a daughter as if speaking to a mere stranger or passerby.

We all forced ourselves to nod. I'm sure that the others wanted to run and embrace Bella and beg to know what she had been through all these years, but we all knew that we couldn't do that without being forced to tell Renesmee the truth. And, somehow, I had a feeling that Bella wouldn't want her daughter to know just what her connection was to her, even as cold as she was being right now. She couldn't truly be this different, could she? I shuddered to think of the possible answer.

Bella returned our nod brusquely before turning and walking down the hall towards a pair of doors which seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Who knows? Maybe they did. Anyway, they were the color of pure onyx, with crimson detailing on the outer edge of a raised rectangle of black-painted wood. But in the center of each door, and the center of the rectangle that was on each of the doors, was a single rose with a long thorn-covered stem that shimmered in a way that was like a mixture of onyx and diamonds and made me think of the way that the stars shone in the night sky. It was, they were... beautiful.

As she reached the doors, Bella turned sideways to speak once more. "Each of your luggage is waiting for you in your corresponding rooms. If you require anything, call for me and I will answer and provide you with anything you may need," she said briskly, and with those parting words she was gone, disappeared through the nearly ephemeral doors – which then vanished.

The entire family looked at each other, and again I could practically feel the conflict thrumming through the air. I cleared my throat a little. "We should get settled in. And then we can all gather in one of our rooms and talk," I said softly and everyone nodded before we all split up, heading to our separate rooms.

As Carlisle and I entered our own chambers, I couldn't hold it in any longer and I flung myself into my husband's arms. "Oh, Carlisle..." I cried quietly, feeling my body shake with dry sobs.

"Hush, my darling. All will be well. We should be thankful that we are at least able to see her and that she appears to be physically unharmed," he breathed in my ear and I couldn't help but disagree with him in my mind.

I had a terrible feeling that Bella was not as unharmed as she appeared. After all, I knew all too well that not all wounds were visible to the naked eye – not even vampires' eyes.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Alright! A fourth chapter complete! :D So, I've decided to wait awhile before deciding on a pairing for Bella, but I would still appreciate any suggestions. Though, I warn you that I am strictly anti-Edward! :) Anyway, review and include any ideas you may have for the story. I'm also glad to have an outside perspective! ;) Thanks for reading!**

**A/N 3/18: Now, after this chapter there will be even more alterations. Overall, it'll take me a little longer than anticipated to get the entire story back up but throughout the process you will also be receiving new material. So, bear with me and let me know what you think! :D**

**- Ashe**


	5. Reflections

**A/N: This chapter contains entirely new content, so enjoy!**

**Chapter Five: Reflections**

Rosalie

As we began entering the Volturi castle, I felt my emotions lash out at me once more. They had been going haywire ever since we received our invitation. I felt a mix of anxiety, anticipation, fear, and… love. Always love.

I glanced around at my family, feeling like I was seeing them clearly for the first time in a long time. As my eyes rested on Emmett for a moment, the corners of my lips quirked up just barely.

Emmett and I divorced nearly a century ago. We split amicably and there were no hard feelings between us. We just didn't love each other in that way anymore because we were never true mates. My heart ached at that thought. No, Emmett and I weren't true mates – but I knew exactly who my mate was.

Isabella Marie Swan Cullen.

I never knew it at first and I doubt that anyone would have believed me if I told them, but it was the truth. And I regretted every single day that I didn't see it sooner. Oh, I felt everything I should have, but I misread my feelings because I was too afraid to admit the truth even to myself, especially to myself.

I was always jealous and angry and upset after Bella arrived in Forks. I had thought that it was because she was interfering in my family's life, that she was an unwelcome intruder in our secret world of forbidden knowledge and power. I had convinced myself that I was jealous of her, of her humanity and ability to have the things I longed for as a human and mourned as a vampire. But I was wrong.

I wasn't jealous of Bella – I was jealous of Edward because he had fallen in love with _my _mate, had turned _my _mate, had made love to _my _mate. And most of all, because she loved him, too. I wasn't angry that she knew about us, what we were. I was furious that she wasn't mine, that it wasn't me she ran to, that it wasn't my arms that wrapped around her, and that it wasn't me who watched over her and protected her in the way that only a mate can. When we left Bella behind in Forks, I wasn't upset that Edward left us and that we had to move once again. I was devastated that we had to leave her behind. I didn't call Edward to inform him of her death because I wanted him to suffer or because I wanted him to just start getting over her. I called him because I would have wanted to know and I was so caught up in denying my own grief that I wasn't thinking rationally.

I loved her. I loved Bella, and I love her still. And no one knows.

They know that I care for her, yes. How could they not? Over the past century, I have lost myself totally and completely. No longer do I feel the petty emotions that plagued me for so long before. All I ever felt was the ache, the sorrow that threatened to consume me from the loss of my mate.

The only thing that brought light into my life, that brought me genuine happiness and love, was her little girl. My mate's daughter, Renesmee who we all called Nessie thanks to Alice nicknaming her when she was a child. With Bella gone, Nessie was my only link left to her and as such I clung to her desperately. She was all I had left.

Edward changed after we lost Bella, reforming into a self-absorbed, arrogant bastard for all intents and purposes – not exactly prime fatherly material. He spent little time with Nessie overall, though you couldn't say that he didn't love her. He just didn't take care of her the way that he should have.

But I did. I was always there for her when she needed me and often when she didn't. I watched over her, spoke with her, smiled with her, and guided her as best I could. I knew that I could never take Bella's place in her life, and I would never want to. However, I needed her perhaps even more than she needed me. She was my link to Bella and, her being Bella's daughter and Bella being my mate, I liked to think that she was as close to my own child as possible. Put simply, I loved her. I loved her the way I would have loved my own daughter, no less.

Still, even she couldn't keep the frigid pain of losing my one true match away. I longed and I mourned, I wept and I whimpered; I grieved and I loved. All for Bella.

I never thought that I would see her again. I didn't dare to let myself hope for that tantalizing, irresistibly tempting possibility. It would have been too much. But now…

Now my unspoken wish had been answered. We were here, in Volterra, and I would see her. I was certain that the guard we were being summoned to celebrate in just one month's time was her, my Bella. It had to be. There was no other possibility. And it terrified me.

I had heard stories of the Volturi, not to mention seeing them for myself on that black day so many years ago. I knew what they were capable of, and nothing had ever scared me more. Because, although I was going to get to see Bella and I was beyond ecstatic in that knowledge, I wasn't sure what she would be like.

Would she be the same at all? I was fairly certain that her physical appearance wouldn't have changed – she was a vampire, after all. But would she still the selfless, caring, irresistibly kind girl – no, woman – that I had known for such a brief time? I couldn't shake the feeling that the answer was 'no' though I hoped desperately for it to be otherwise. Would Aro have forced her to partake of human blood? Bella's control was unlike any we'd ever seen before – and that was just as a newborn. But it was no secret that Aro in no way agreed with our choice of lifestyle and had spent years trying to convert Carlisle to his 'natural diet' when he had stayed with the Volturi centuries ago. So, what would we find when we saw her?

I frowned as we made our way to the throne room, paying minimal attention to my surroundings, just enough to keep an eye on Nessie. I was so very selfish. Despite all of the questions and fears about what Bella may have endured, I found that I felt no burning desire to have them answered – only to see her. As horrible and egotistical as it was, I cared about nothing more than that she was still alive in this moment and that I would finally be allowed to see her after a near century of waiting. And that was despicable of me – but I couldn't find it in myself to care, not until I saw her for myself.

I was dragged out of my thoughts as we entered the throne room. It was precisely as Carlisle had described, but I took little notice of my surroundings. My entire body was wound tightly with anticipation, fear, and even exultation, despite the current circumstances.

I waited impatiently as Aro greeted us. Would she come to the throne room to greet us? Would Aro permit her to do so? What would she do, say? What would _we _do or say to the one who sacrificed herself so that we all could live in peace?

My thoughts were pushed aside as my mind registered the faint sound of footsteps approaching. I waited with baited breath until the throne room doors were flung wide and a cloaked figure strode in near-silently. I could not tell if this person was male or female as the cloak was so all-encompassing. I took a deep, quiet breath to taste the person's scent – and I froze.

I didn't recognize the scent by memory. It was unlike anything I'd ever smelled before. It was vanilla and darkness and the barest hint of winter's chill, which would likely be undetectable to anyone else. Why, you ask? Because I recognized this person. Not by their scent – no, as I stated, I had never smelled this person before. No, I recognized this person instinctually, on a soul-deep level that only this one person could reach. That only my mate could reach. It was her. It was my mate.

The person standing before me was Bella.

I was immobilized. A hundred years, I had waited for this, and now… Now, she was mere feet away from me; it was… intoxicating to say the very least.

I watched in powerless fascination as she moved to stand before Aro and then – I barely restrained my growl. She… fucking… _knelt _before him. If I hadn't already been frozen by my shock then I would surely have been made incapable of movement by the rage that welled up inside me like a furious inferno eager to consume anything and everything in its path.

"Ah, here she is!" Aro's words were no longer something to be merely tolerated and ignored. No, not when he had my mate kneeling at his feet like a fucking dog. My inner-vampire, the core of my instincts, snarled and paced restlessly inside me although, at the same time, it whimpered and feared for our mate.

"Mea Simulacrum Sicarius," he murmured, and I could see the amusement in his eyes. But that wasn't what caught my attention. No, his expression was inconsequential when compared with his words. He called her his Shadow Assassin. The tension inside of me grew. My entire being protested against this, all of it, and screamed for me to grab my mate and get the hell out of there. But I knew I couldn't. All I could do was stand here, just like I did all those years ago.

Aro stood and moved beside her as he continued speaking. ""Friends, I have prepared your quarters and I'm sure that mia cara will be happy to show you to them. But, first..." He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. Sick bastard. And besides, how dare he call her 'his dear'?! She was not his! She was mine, though only if she wanted to be. My cold heart ached at the mere thought of it, but it was true. I could never force a relationship or anything else on my mate if she didn't wish it. The sheer thought of it was agonizing and sickening to me.

"I believe introductions are in order. Rise, mia cara," Aro commanded and she obeyed, turning to face us though not yet allowing us to see her face.

I found myself becoming more tense every second. All at once, I wanted to rush forward and embrace her, while at the same time I wanted to remain frozen in this moment forever because I could feel instinctually that I was not going to like what came next – at all. I never got the choice anyway.

Aro finished his little speech, a maniacal gleam in his filmy, crimson orbs. "I can guarantee you that she knows all of your names," he teased cruelly, reaching for the hood that hid her face from us. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself still. "But allow me to introduce you to Isabella Shadow Volturi," he announced and icy shock shot through my frozen veins.

Not just at his words, which alone were more than enough to return me to a thoroughly shocked state. No, not just his maliciously gleeful announcement, but what I _saw_. Immediately, I registered the inequality between my earlier frantic musings and what, who, I saw standing before me now.

She was different.

Her was black as night and tumbled freely in waves down her back. And somehow, impossibly, she was taller. She appeared to be wearing a three-inch-high heel, bringing her up to approximately 5"11. That would put her at about 5"8 barefoot, just a single inch shorter than my own 5 foot nine frame. Then, there was her beauty… I had always seen how beautiful she was, even as a human and when I was still completely in denial about my true feelings. But now… Now, she was quite literally drop-dead gorgeous, without a doubt the most stunning person ever to walk the earth. But it was none of those things that shocked me the most:

It was her eyes.

That last, fateful time that I had seen her, Bella's eyes had been a light gold. Now… Now they were darker than any vampire's eyes that I had ever seen. Her entire iris was completely jet black. But it was more than just the coloring of them. It was the sheer and absolute… frigidity and nothingness of them. It was as though there was nothing but coldness left within her. No love, no joy, just… no emotion whatsoever.

And then she spoke. "Hello, Cullens," she greeted us coldly, emotionlessly. Her voice was dark and nearly screamed of how dangerous she was now, but it was still the singular most beautiful, entrancing sound I had ever heard. The combination of the toneless quality and sheer beauty of her voice had the overall effect of giving the impression of each sound and syllable being that of an angel from within their own personal hell.

Very little registered in my mind after that, but my eyes never left her. When she showed us to our hall and pointed out our rooms it never occurred to me to wonder how she knew of my and Emmett's divorce. I simply accepted it because, as I shut the door behind myself, all that I could think in heartbroken horror was:

What did they do to her?

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Phew! There you go! A brand new chapter for you! I wanted to kind of cement Rosalie's thoughts and feelings on everything before moving on. Anyways, moving on! Thanks for reading everyone! Now, review please!**

**Also, I recommend you check out "Bonding Over Sickness" by Mokusgirl. It's a cute little story about some Rosalie/Bella sisterly bonding time. :)**

**- Ashe**


	6. Changed

**Chapter Six: Changed**

Bella

I lay in the center of my large bed, in the same position that I had been in since I entered my rooms thirty-two minutes and twenty-seven seconds ago.

The time passed slowly as I lay perfectly still, having no inclination to even attempt to entertain myself with any of the many material things which can be found throughout the castle. Fire lined the walls of my bedroom, sparking and burning a deep, shimmering onyx with sinister crimson accents laced throughout them. The Cullens' arrival was unexpected and my exceedingly volatile temper was provoked by this unanticipated development.

Still, I couldn't deny that I was pleased to see… _her._ I sighed, my fury dying down significantly as I thought of her. Renesmee. My daughter. In all this – all of the pain, torment, and pure Hell that I had suffered and survived – she was the only thing I clung to. All else was sacrificed in the wake of the torturous existence I endured. Everything but her. Never could I forsake my darling daughter; even if nothing else mattered, she always would.

But the rest… I couldn't. I couldn't hold on to them, as well. I had only the strength to preserve one of them within my cold heart, and I chose her just as I always did and would. The rest, those I used to call my family, each faded in significance until the day that I finally ceased to harbor even the most meager of friendly or positive emotions towards them – towards anyone but Renesmee, really.

No. I couldn't love any longer. What was left of my love went to my daughter – anything else would be utterly unacceptable and totally and completely impossible, not to mention outrageous. Still…

I frowned. Upon leading the Cullens to their bedchambers, I had come to realize something was… off. I couldn't understand why; I couldn't even begin to comprehend what the reason may be; but I… felt something. Now, for someone who has experienced nothing but the darkest emotions on this earth for the past numerous decades, this was an incredibly unusual occurrence. Unusual, meaning: never happened before.

When I was leading them to the hall, I felt almost… at peace. It was a strange feeling and one that I wasn't so sure that I liked. But that wasn't even the strangest part – the strangest part was the source of that odd emotion, the person who evoked such a long-disused response in me.

Rosalie Lillian Hale.

I shook my head, not wishing to ponder it any longer. I sighed, before standing and listening as I heard a familiar voice call my name. Instantly, I teleported back to the hallway before casually making my way to Alice and Jasper's open door.

When I entered the suite, I could see that all of the Cullens were there, and they each regarded me with curious and wary expressions – as well they should. At first glance, their emotions were all fairly predictable, nothing remotely alarming – with four notable exceptions.

Ah, Tanya… The blond succubus was very much aware of my history with her in-laws, having even attended my wedding. Now, having married Edward for herself, she wrongly perceived me as a threat to her relationship. Her emotions were very shallow, in addition to being particularly filled with hatred (of me) and possessiveness (of Edward). Well, she needn't worry herself about it. As I stated before, I held no feelings for anyone and particularly not my ex-husband.

Then, there was Esme. The eternal mother was very much so in emotional chaos at the moment. Her joy at seeing me warred with her overwhelming concern for me, both of which seemed to add to her sorrow regarding my… situation, shall we say. Yet each of those was brought low by the towering mountain of matronly love and affection that radiated out from her. My left eyebrow rose half a centimeter. Again, she need not bother herself with such feelings as I lacked both the capability and the inclination to reciprocate them.

Next, there was my darling daughter, Renesmee. A small ache pulsed inside me as I felt her distrust of me. She saw me as a threat to her family and my association with the Volturi made my person even more unsavory to her. But the dominating emotion seemed to be confusion. I guessed that she had, indeed, done as I had wished she would and forgotten my place in her past. Though it pained me, I loved her so very much that I was glad of her failure to recall my place in her history.

However, the fourth surprised me for the second time this day. Again, Rosalie was a source of confusion for me. True, the two of us had grown close when I was pregnant with Renesmee as well as in the months which followed her birth and preceded the Volturi's arrival, but never enough to warrant this type of emotional response in her. She was being bombarded by an intense mixture of concern, fear, anger, hope, and… love. Nothing less than absolute, earth-shattering love.

My jaw tightened slightly under the onslaught of her emotions. After so long in my own dark, emotional vacuum, it was almost too much for me to handle. I swiftly dimmed my empathic gift, frowning as I did so.

My focus shifted the group as a whole before shifting solely to Alice. "What is it you require?" I asked coolly and the small, black-haired vampire flinched back slightly at my tone. I didn't react – I had long grown used to such reactions when I addressed people directly.

Esme

I struggled to keep myself from frowning. Alice had actually **flinched **when Bella spoke to her. I chose to answer. Perhaps I would be able to get a, at the least, slightly different response from her.

"We wanted to know if you would mind showing us where to go so that we could hunt," I said politely and Bella turned her head to look at me with one eyebrow slightly raised before she nodded.

"Aro would rather that you didn't go out on your own on the off chance that one of the other guards or occasional guests in the castle might accidentally attack you. He's ordered me to accompany you whenever you hunt, as my presence will prevent any such accidents from occurring, however he instructed me to solicit your opinion on the matter as well," Bella informed us, and I felt a small wave of gladness run through me. Bella will be going with us when we hunt. Perhaps we will be able to convince her to drink animal blood, again... I felt saddened at the thought. Though her eyes were fully onyx, I felt certain that Aro must have commanded her to alter her choice of feeding. My thoughts trailed off when I saw Bella smirk humorlessly at me.

I'm sure that my confusion showed on my face – though, I tried to keep my expression unchanged – since she spoke less than a second later. "Actually, your mask remained in place. However, you should know that any attempt to sway me to your diet would futile, as I currently have none," she said, both her face and voice remaining the same, except for the slight smirk that was still there.

"What..." I began, startled by her unusual reply, before I realized something, something important. "Did you... did you just answer my thoughts?" I breathed incredulously, and I could hear the surprised reactions of my family.

Before Bella could answer me, Alice, Jasper, and Edward all spoke at the same time. "I can't see anything!" Alice sounded horrified and I gathered that she tried to look into the future and came up blank. "I can't feel any of your emotions!" Jasper sounded relieved, and I assumed that it was something of a blessing for him to be free of all of the chaotic emotions that he was usually subjected to. "Wait! Why can't I hear any of your thoughts?!" Edward sounded irritated and accusing, and I immediately frowned at him. Honestly, that boy…

"Enough," Bella said, and she didn't raise her voice at all, but her voice was so commanding that everyone immediately shut up and gave her their attention. She smirked once more before addressing their statements. "Alice, Jasper, Edward, none of you will be able to use your abilities while in Volterra, because I am shielding everyone against them," she said simply and all that we could do was stare in shock.

But... How? I asked her in my mind and I assume that the others were having similar thoughts.

She just shrugged. "I don't know, honestly," she said, seeming unconcerned by it. Before anyone could voice anything further, she spoke to me again. "Now, will it be alright with the nine of you if I accompany you?" she repeated her earlier question.

I nodded, before replying. "Of course," I said truthfully and she just nodded.

"Very well, then. I'll be teleporting us out," she warned us, and I only had a hundredth of a second to wonder what it would be like before I felt it. For the briefest moment – less than a thousandth of a second – I felt as though I was in two places at once, and then I was suddenly in a clearing inside a verdant, green forest.

"Incredible," I breathed before recovering myself. "Will it be safe if we split up?" I asked Bella and she nodded.

"Just stay within a hundred miles of this point, and you'll be perfectly safe with no danger of running into any humans," she told us, and I suddenly wondered...

"Where exactly are we, Bella, if you don't mind my asking?" I asked her and her cold obsidian eyes snapped to meet mine.

"It's Isabella, actually," she said firmly, and I felt myself frown a bit. She always hated being called Isabella, before. She truly has changed... I thought, and she nodded just barely. "We're deep within the Amazon at the moment," she replied to me and all I could do was nod as we all began to split up. Edward, Tanya, and Renesmee were in one group; Alice, Jasper, and Emmett stood in another group; Carlisle and I would hunt together; and Rosalie would be accompanied by Bella – no, Isabella – it seemed.

"Everyone should return to this point in three hours," Isabella instructed before turning and following Rosalie as she took off into the surrounding trees. I watched with a worried frown on my face as they disappeared into the thick jungle.

I sighed as Carlisle and I began to run, as well. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened to my daughter in these past hundred years, but she was extremely different from the shy, loving young woman that she had been before. She was cold and callous, and her eyes held no warmth for us that I could see, though it saddened me greatly. I also knew, could tell somehow, that she wasn't happy. I almost snorted to myself. Of course she wasn't happy – she was with the Volturi! But I vowed to myself, then, that I would see her smile again. All I wanted was for her to smile, just once. I just wanted her to be happy, again...

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Okay, there's chapter five. Hope you liked it! Now, I would greatly appreciate it if you would review – yes, you! :D Thanks for reading, everyone! I look forward to hearing (or reading, rather) your thoughts on the story so far!**

**- Ashe**


	7. Questions and Confusing Feelings

**Chapter Seven: Questions and Confusing Feelings**

Rosalie

After Isabella finished speaking, I took off into the trees. I couldn't believe it. My mind kept replaying everything from the time that we arrived in Volterra to now. It was... unbelievable.

When I first saw that it was Isabella in the throne room, I was shocked, stunned, for a few reasons. First, just the simple fact that I was seeing her again. It was nearly enough to put me in a daze. It was… incredible. Second, she was so… different. Everything about her appeared to be altered. Her voice was now cold and mocking. Her eyes were frigid and cynical. And the biggest change was that her entire... being seemed to just **radiate **darkness. It was as if the Bella that I had known died, and the Isabella that I had met was born of her ashes.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Isabella's voice as I slowed before stopping. "In a way, you're correct," she said and I was confused for a moment before I remembered.

"That's right. You read minds, now," I remarked hesitantly, turning to face her.

She nodded. "Yes. As I said, in a way, you're correct. The person that you knew – Bella Marie Cullen – is dead and has been for nearly a hundred years," Isabella told me and I felt a flash of sorrow. But at the same time… I didn't mind. It was enough just to see her again.

Isabella looked almost frustrated for a moment before her expression smoothed out. She shook her head. "You should hunt," she said, and her voice seemed to have lost some of its… coldness, somehow. I didn't dare to question it.

I nodded. I did need to hunt. Closing my eyes, I listened for a moment before shooting off in the direction of the panther that I had heard. I didn't hear Isabella behind me, and I was glad. I tended to be quite territorial of my kills, as most vampires were. Still, I couldn't help but feel that it would be different with her, anyway.

When I came upon the panther, I made quick work of it, snapping its neck before I drained it dry. After I had finished with that, I felt fairly satisfied. It was quite a large animal for its kind.

So, I retraced my steps to find Isabella unmoved from the position she had when I left her. I raised one eyebrow in her direction. _If I asked you some questions, would you answer?_ I asked her with with my thoughts and she smirked at me. I was stunned, to say the least. It was the closest thing that I had seen to a smile on her face since we had arrived – not that it was a great while ago.

"It depends on the questions that you ask," Isabella shrugged, but I couldn't help but feeling that she was somehow more… open with me than the others. Isabella looked at me sharply but didn't comment, still seeming puzzled about something.

I thought about it for a moment. I could think of a thousand things that I wanted to know, but what to ask first? I hesitated and then spoke. "What was really your reaction to seeing us again?" I was anxious to hear her answer, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to know. Well, that wasn't it, really. I didn't really want to know, I _needed _to know.

Isabella shook her head at my last thought, and I froze. "I was... indifferent," she said evenly, and I could have cried out. She was **indifferent **to us. So, she had no ill will towards us, but she... what?

"So, you don't... love us anymore?" I barely breathed the words, but I knew that she heard me. I could feel that familiar pain lashing at me.

Isabella sighed. "To be frank, no," she said bluntly, before going on. "I do not love them, nor do I care for them," she said, and I could see that she was telling the truth, though each word was like a thousand vampire bites on my body. She didn't love us. She didn't care about us. But...

"You said 'them'?" I asked hesitantly and she sighed.

"I can't answer that question," she said, frowning slightly. I felt disappointment wash over me. Still, I shook it off and addressed a more pressing concern.

"And Renesmee?" I asked her sharply, and I could see something flicker in her eyes. "What about Renesmee?"

Isabella

**What about Renesmee?**

I could have scoffed. I may be incapable of caring about anyone else, but my daughter would forever hold her place in my heart. And then there were the confusing feelings that Rosalie seemed to stir in me…

Rosalie interrupted my thoughts. "Do you still love you daughter, even if you don't care about the rest of us?" she demanded, and I could hear the pain her voice, along with the anger. She still wasn't sure how I felt about her in comparison to the rest of her family. Then again, neither was I.

I felt a sharp pain radiate through my body, and I nearly growled at Rosalie for triggering it. I couldn't though – those wretched, confusing _feelings _got in the way. My daughter was the only reason that I maintained my grasp on reality – for the most part, at least. She was my only reason for existing, for going on. And I knew that I couldn't betray her by lying to Rosalie, now.

"Yes," I said and, for the first time in the past hundred years, I allowed all of the arrogance and coldness to drain out of my voice.

"Yes?" Rosalie clarified, and I could hear the relief in her voice and see her eyes soften. I was thankful for that. A few flickers of memories flashed through her mind, of times she spent with my darling daughter, and I was unendingly grateful that she had cared for and taken care of her in such a way.

I sighed lightly. "Yes, I love her. I've always loved her. I never stopped, and I never will, though I am incapable of feeling the same for anyone else," I said firmly, my voice sincere. Rosalie nodded and I turned and began walking towards the point that I originally teleported us to, with Rosalie walking at my side.

I was ignoring her thoughts for the most part, but I could still feel the direction that her thoughts were going. I couldn't answer the question that she would ask. It was forbidden, but I would allow her to ask, anyway. It would seem that I had a difficult time refusing her anything, for some unknown reason.

"Do you enjoy being with the Volturi?" she asked, saying the word 'Volturi' as if it was a curse, and I couldn't say that I entirely disagreed.

I scoffed. "Certainly not," I murmured and I felt her curiosity rise. I shook my head. "I suggest you move on to your next question. You won't like my answer if you ask me to elaborate," I warned her quietly and I felt her brief struggle to decide on a course of action.

Rosalie hesitated. "Very well. You said that you copy other people's powers?" she asked and I nodded. "How many powers have you copied?"

I smirked at that. I would freely admit to anyone that I enjoyed having so much power. It was one of the very, very few things I genuinely enjoyed – a small consolation for the hell I had been forced to endure. "I've copied every power in the world, including yours," I said casually, still smirking. I knew that it had always bothered her that she didn't have a gift, but in reality she did have one. She just didn't know it, as was made plain by the shock that she felt at this moment. I'm not sure what made me tell her, I just felt the impulse to do so and the sensation was so foreign to me that I acted on it.

"What?" she asked, still stunned by the news that she wasn't as "ungifted" as she'd thought.

"I copied your power before I even knew that I could," I repeated, and she seemed to be starting to accept my words as truth and get excited.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously. She was excited but she wanted to be sure it was true before she started celebrating.

I stopped and turned to smirk at her. It felt odd to be doing so out of some kind of… amusement, rather than malice or superiority. "Your gift is classified as making you a Siren," I said and her expression became questioning. I sighed. Cullens were always so inquisitive, and it was somewhat mentally taxing. But I found I didn't mind the way that I would with anyone else.

"Your power will enable you with certain abilities, and enhance certain aspects of your being, that will allow you to draw almost any person to you with almost no effort on your part," I explained and Rosalie now wore a smug, satisfied look on her face. Then, she frowned.

"But... Why haven't I felt my power, or been able to use it?" she asked, obviously confused.

I sighed once more. "You haven't been able to use your power because it's still dormant inside of you," I said as we resumed walking.

She was silent for a moment. "Could you," she started, but I cut her off.

"Hush," I told her quickly, though not unkindly, before focusing on the words inside my head.

**Isabella. You are to return to Volterra, now. I have a mission that I would like to send you on. I expect you to be in the throne room in one minute.**

I gritted my teeth as I faced Rosalie, my customary expression firmly locked in place. "We've been summoned back to Volterra," I told her and her eyes widened a little before she accepted it.

She didn't get a chance to respond before I had located Alice, Jasper, and Emmett and teleported the two of us to their location.

"We've been summoned back," I told the three of them, before we all appeared in front of Edward, Tanya, and... Renesmee.

I shook my head slightly. "We're going back, now," I said, and we were all suddenly standing around Carlisle and Esme.

I didn't bother explaining, anymore, as I teleported us to Volterra, directly outside the throne room. I pushed the door open, ignoring the Cullens' confusion as I swept into the room with about thirty-nine seconds to spare.

The Cullens congregated behind me as I went and knelt on one knee before Aro. "Master," I greeted him coldly and he nodded to me and to the Cullens.

"Isabella. I need you to go here," Aro began, showing me in his mind the place that I would be going to. "And take care of the coven there. They allowed some of the humans in the village to find out about the existence of our kind, so you'll have to wipe the memories of the entire village," he said and I nodded.

"Of course, master," I responded, a mix of fury and excited flickering through me. I was always furious with Aro – he was the root cause of all my suffering, but I was pleased to be going on a mission. My missions were my one distraction from this hell I lived in.

"Oh, and Isabella, darling," Aro said, a playful glint appearing in his eyes. "You'll be taking Esme and Rosalie with you. You don't mind, do you, me dears?" he asked, looking behind me at them, though everyone knew that it was merely a formality. Esme and Rosalie, like me, truly didn't have a choice.

I stiffened. Rosalie… They were coming with me on a mission. **Damn it. **I may not care for Esme anymore, but there were still those… unsettling feelings that Rosalie seemed to bring up in me. It made me… uncomfortable to have her coming on my mission with me. And that was exactly Aro's intention.

"Of course we don't mind," Esme said quietly, though I could feel her hesitation as she and Rosalie came forward to stand on either side of me.

"Wonderful," Aro exclaimed before returning his attention to me. "You may go, now, Isabella," he said and I nodded curtly, teleporting us to the location that I had seen in Aro's mind.

I knew immediately where the three vampires were and began to move in their direction, but Esme's voice stopped me.

"What are you going to do with them?" she asked, with the tone of someone who already knew the answer to their own question, but still hoped that they might be wrong, after all.

I turned around; looked her dead in the eyes. "I'm going to kill them," I said simply. I could have lied, but I had no desire to do so. This is who I was, no matter how much they or I didn't like it – not that I had it in me to care anymore. Perhaps this would make them realize that. But, at the same time, I couldn't help but fear what Rosalie's reaction would be – and that confused me because I just couldn't understand it…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, what do you think? It's a longer chapter than yesterday, just like I promised. :) Anyway, I thought that I would answer a couple of your questions. So, here goes:**

**Avery: There will eventually be a chapter for the ball, and at some point in the story I will find a way to give Isabella and Edward some closure.**

**MissBookwurm: In my story, Jacob won't even be mentioned at all, and no he hasn't imprinted on Renesmee.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading everyone! Now, review and don't forget to include story and/or Isabella pairing ideas! Thanks, girls and guys!**

**- Ashe**


	8. Acceptance and Unconditional Love

**Chapter Eight: Acceptance and Unconditional Love**

Esme

I felt a shock go through me at Isabella's words. They echoed in my mind as she turned to race away, and Rosalie and I drifted along behind her.

**I'm going to kill them...**

I couldn't believe it. But, at the same time, it was finally starting to sink in. Isabella... My daughter was a Volturi assassin – the Shadow Assassin. And she was going to kill these vampires for exposing our secret.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize that we had come to the edge of a clearing until Isabella stopped.

"What..." I started to ask a question, but then I saw them. They stood in the center of the field, there were three of them, and I knew that Isabella was going to kill them. And I wanted so badly to plead with her not to, but I knew that it wouldn't do any good. So, I did the only thing that I could: I accepted it.

Isabella looked back at me then, and I saw a brief glimpse of... **something, **in her eyes before it was gone. I shook my head slightly. I was sure that I was imagining it. "Stay here," Isabella commanded and Rosalie and I glanced at each other before nodding our agreement.

Isabella turned and began walking towards the vampires in the clearing, and I turned, reaching out to take Rosalie's hand in my own.

You can't interfere. You can't interfere. You can't interfere. I kept chanting the words in my mind, so that I would remain where I was. Because I knew that all I could do was watch.

Isabella's hood was up as she approached them, and when she spoke the three of them froze. "Collin, Sarah, Amanda, you have violated the most absolute law of our kind. You have allowed a group of humans to discover the existence of vampires. As payment for your crimes, you have been sentenced to death, by the Volturi. Now, I suggest that you refrain from trying to escape, though I **would **very much enjoy it if you did attempt to get away from me," she said, a flicker of cold amusement entering her velvet-smooth, frigid voice. And, as she spoke, she flicked her left wrist once to each side of her – and a wall of midnight-black flames appeared on either side of the field. They burned darkly for a second before spreading to wrap around the other end of the field.

I was... shocked, to say the least, even though I knew that I shouldn't be. Still, even knowing of Isabella's immense power, I couldn't help but be surprised.

Then, I noticed the vampires' expressions. At first, they had appeared accepting of their fate. However, when they saw the fire, a look of horror and suspicion began dawning on their faces. I didn't have long to wonder what it was that they were suspicious of because, at that moment, Isabella flipped her hood back. And I saw what they suspected as their suspicions were vindicated.

They feared. They feared Isabella as I have never seen any vampire fear before. All three of them dropped to their knees, prostrating their bodies in obvious terror.

"Shadow Assassin, spare us! We beg you!" one, the male – Collin – pleaded, but Isabella continued to walk calmly forward.

Isabella never stopped or slowed in her advance on the three criminal vampires. His words had no effect on her, I saw, and it broke my still heart. And all I could of was – _what did they do to her?_

As she drew closer to them, one of the women began to dry-sob, while the other raised her head to look at Isabella imploringly. "Please, My Lady, have mercy!" she cried, and – shockingly enough – Isabella paused.

Hope welled up within me for a moment, but I knew that Rose was not so optimistic. "Will she allow them to live?" I murmured quietly and I saw Rosalie shake her head slowly.

"No," Rose responded quietly, but still I hoped. However, Isabella's next words shattered that fragile hope.

"Mercy?" Isabella asked, cocking her head slightly to the side. "It is not mine to offer to you. Mercy?" she asked again, laughing humorlessly, and I was stunned to hear a note of hopelessness in her voice before it vanished. Then she spoke and her voice was as cold and hard as steel. "I have none left to offer you," she said mercilessly, moving forward once more.

And then she reached them. I didn't watch. I couldn't. But I could still hear. I could hear their screams. I could hear their pain. And it killed me to know that Isabella... My daughter caused it. But, even as I lamented her actions, I forgave her them.

I knew exactly why Aro sent Rosalie and I on this mission with my lost daughter. He expected that, if we saw her as she was now, we would abandon her to him. He was wrong. Isabella could destroy the entire world and everything in it, and I would still love her. She was my daughter, which meant that I loved her unconditionally, no matter what.

Rosalie

I opened my eyes when the screams stopped. All that was left of the three vampires was a pile of ashes. A of the flames were gone and Isabella stood about five feet away from where the ashes of the vampires that she had killed lay.

I knew that I should probably be horrified, and I was a bit perturbed, but for the most part I was... amazed. I had never seen, or heard of for that matter, such power. Besides that, she was my mate even if she didn't know it and I could never possibly turn my back on her. But there was a question lurking on the edge of my mind that needed to be answered...

Isabella interrupted my thoughts as she turned to us. "Follow me," she ordered, and I could tell from the look in her eyes – cold though they were – that she was confused about something and perhaps even... frustrated? Hmm... I didn't know what it could be but if it would at all help her come back to us, back to me… I shook my head. Now wasn't the time for this.

"Where are we going?" Esme asked as we followed after my sister. I had wondered that, as well.

Isabella replied without slowing or even turning her head to acknowledge us. "I have to wipe the memories of all of the people in the village," she informed us curtly and I was instantly curious.

We followed her to the edge of a small village, where we stopped. I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. "How?" I inquired and Isabella looked at me with the smallest hint of a smirk on her face.

"Like this," she said simply, turning back to face the village that stood before us. Then, she raised one hand towards the village and began to murmur a string of words in Latin:

"Averte tempus,

Intra eorum mentes,

Transferimini ab cogitations eorum,

Exciderat eorum memorias,

Cerno animo haec."

Fortunately, I had studied Latin before, so I knew what the words meant. She said, "Turn back time, Within their minds, Removed from their thoughts, Faded from their memories, Are these things I see in my own mind." Huh. Well, it certainly fit.

I couldn't see anything happening for a moment, before images began forming in the air around us. In many of them, I saw the vampires that Isabella had killed. I drew in an unnecessary breath. "What are they?" I questioned, feeling Esme's hand tighten in my own.

"They're the memories of the villagers – at least, those that are a danger to the vampiric society," Isabella shrugged.

I just nodded, accepting the information. After that, Esme and I waited silently until Isabella lowered her hand and turned to face us.

"Come, let us go," she said, and we followed her away from the village and deep into the surrounding forest where she stopped in a small circular clearing. "Esme," Isabella said and my – **our **– mother's head immediately snapped to face her.

"Yes?" Esme asked curiously, though her eyes kept wandering to look at all of the exotic plants and flowers that surrounded us, and I saw the corner of Isabella's mouth twitch.

"You need to hunt. You didn't get a chance, before Aro called me back to Volterra earlier. Go on. Rosalie and I will wait for you here," she ordered, waving a hand towards the trees.

I looked at my mother and could see the gratitude in her eyes. "Yes, you're correct. Thank you, Isabella," Esme nodded, smiling at both of us before taking off to hunt.

I looked back at the shadowed woman standing behind me. She showed no emotion, but I could see the guardedness that lay just beneath the surface. I wanted to ask her the question that had been plaguing me, but I just couldn't. Not yet, anyway.

Isabella raised an eyebrow at me before nodding. "I believe that there was a different question that you were going to ask me earlier, before we were interrupted," she said and I thought back, wondering what she meant. And then I remember – I had a gift, but it wasn't active.

I hesitated for only a second. "Would you activate my gift?" I asked with a hint of pleading in my voice and she smirked.

"Of course," she agreed indifferently but it almost seemed like she couldn't figure something out while she said it, stepping forward until she stood directly in front of me. "Give me your hand," she instructed.

I did as she said, and when I did I felt a surge of power go through me. It was... incredible. It was unlike anything that I had ever experienced before.

Isabella released my hand, then. "It is done. You should be able to fully access your power, now," she informed me, and she was right.

I could feel it within me. And I could also feel myself... changing, somehow. I frowned as the curious feeling intensified for a brief moment before ceasing.

"What... was that?" I managed to ask and Isabella appeared frozen for a moment, looking me up and down, before she reached out almost… hesitantly… and took my hand. Then, she led me a short way through the trees to a small pond, which she pointed to.

"Look and see for yourself," she said and I was stunned to hear her voice softer than it had been since we arrived, and I hesitantly did as she said.

I leaned over to look at my reflection in the mirror, and gasped at what I saw. I had always been beautiful, but when I saw her again I had known that Isabella surpassed me. Not anymore. We were equal now, as I saw that my gift had somehow managed to intensify my already-stunning features and looks. And I couldn't help but be glad that Isabella was no longer more beautiful than I was.

"It's a part of your gift," Isabella said, and I mentally smacked myself as I remembered – again – that she could read minds. "Your gift brings vanity, as well as beauty and power," she explained calmly, ignoring my thoughts for the moment.

I nodded. "I can't say that I'm disappointed," I said lightly, though I was honestly still overjoyed at the news that I had a vampiric talent. Having been in the presence of the _all-knowing, golden boy _Edward since the moment I awoke from my change, I had always been bitter about not having my own gift and being forced to constantly endure his arrogant, overbearing presence not just physically but also within the last sanctuary left to me – my mind.

Isabella looked at me piercingly and I was reminded that she, too, could read my mind. It didn't bother me the way that it did with Edward. I was stunned when she spoke. "I shall not read your thoughts unless you ask me, if you wish it," she said, frowning slightly. I was blown away by her offer and unbelievably grateful.

I smiled. "I would appreciate that. Thank you, Isabella," I said sincerely and she nodded. Then, I felt a sense of slight pressure in my mind. I looked at my companion questioningly and she explained that the sensation I felt was a mental shield. So long as I could feel that pressure, my thoughts would remain untouched. We were silent after that.

Sometime later, Esme returned with eyes that were now a golden-butterscotch. She smiled at Isabella before looking at me. And, when she did see me, her mouth dropped open. "Rosalie, what..." she trailed off, but I understood.

I grinned. "It's my gift," I said happily, before explaining how Isabella had told me earlier about my talent before activating it just a short while ago. Once I was finished, Esme ran to hug me.

"I'm happy for you, Rose," Mother told me quietly, before releasing me and turning to her other daughter (well, one of them, anyway). I frowned. I didn't like to think of the family ties that we technically shared, even if not by blood. Still, Isabella was her daughter just as much as I was. If we ever got the chance, we would just have to work it out in spite of the somewhat awkward familial connection. "Thank you, Isabella," she said sincerely.

I honestly half-expected some kind of sarcastic or cold comment considering how much Isabella had changed, but she surprised me once again.

"She deserved it," was all that Isabella said. And suddenly my un-asked question from before reentered my mind.

"Isabella..." I started and she took a deep breath. I was certain that she already knew what I was going to ask from my thoughts before she placed the shield, but I needed to say it aloud. "Why?" I asked and Esme looked both confused and concerned as she glanced between us.

"Why what, dear?" Esme asked me and I sighed, running a hand through my shimmering, long blond hair.

I stared resolutely into my mate's eyes. "Why do you stay with the Volturi when you have so much power?" I asked, and both Esme and I froze as we waited for her answer.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Alright! Chapter Seven is complete! :D I hope that you're all enjoying the story. Thanks for reading, everyone!**

**- Ashe**


	9. Bound

**Chapter Nine: Bound**

Isabella

"Why do you stay with the Volturi, when you have so much power?" Rosalie asked, both she and Esme freezing as soon as she was done speaking. I snorted quietly, my eyes falling shut and a humorless smirk appearing on my face. I had expected one of them to ask me this, eventually. It was common sense.

I reopened my eyes to look at them impassively as I replied. "I stay because I have no choice," I said easily; it was the truth.

"But why do you have to?" Rosalie pressed and I could read the concern and curiosity in her eyes like a page on a book even when her thoughts when I refrained from reading her thoughts.

I raised one eyebrow at them before lowering it. "Tell me, have you ever heard of a Vampire Binding?" I asked tersely, knowing that they hadn't. I was right, of course, and they both shook their heads.

"There is a vampire who has a very… _unique_," I nearly snarled the word, "gift. His gift is loosely related to Marcus' and Chelsea's gifts. He cannot see or manipulate existing bonds between vampires. Instead, he creates a Bond," I said tonelessly and they exchanged a worried glance.

"You make is sound like… bond is capitalized?" Esme said hesitantly and I nodded.

"It is," I confirmed and I could see the confusion and fear mounting in their eyes. "He creates this Bond either between himself and another vampire or two other vampires, establishing one as the Servant and one as the Master. No one has ever discovered a way to break the Bond, so it is essentially everlasting unless one of the vampires is killed. The Servant is Bound so tightly as to be utterly incapable of disobeying their Master. As well, the Bonding leaves a visible Mark, like a tattoo – the symbol of their bondage: two crescent moons back to back, one black and one crimson," I concluded coldly. My hatred never died down over the years, nor will it ever. He is the reason I am forced to remain in my hellish situation for all of eternity.

"But... What does that have to do with you?" Esme asked fearfully, but I could see that she already knew. She just didn't want to admit to herself. Rosalie seemed to be having the same revelation and I could feel the first waves of horror and dread start to roll off of her.

Again, I raised one eyebrow at the two of them. "Does this answer your question?" I asked callously, turning and pulling my hair away from the back of my neck. I knew what they would see – my Mark, forever imbedded into my otherwise perfectly white skin. I heard their gasps as they saw it, as well as Rosalie's softly whispered, "no". I let my midnight tresses fall back into place and spun to face them once more.

**Oh, my poor daughter! How could anyone be so cruel as to do something like this? How dare they hurt my daughter this way?! I could just... Wait! Who did this, though, and who is she Bound to...? **Esme's thoughts shifted to confused, though her expression still portrayed all of the anguish and concern that she was feeling.

I could see from Rosalie's expression that she was just as anguished, as well as the fury that flashed in her eyes. An urge to reassure her somehow welled up in me, and I frowned. I still couldn't understand why I was being bombarded by all of these foreign impulses and emotions. I had not felt such a thing in a century and, to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to feel it now. For a hundred years, I had cared only for Renesmee and these… _feelings _for Rosalie irritated me.

"I am Bound to Aro, actually. That's why I can hear him calling to me in my mind even when I'm thousands of miles away," I said casually and they both growled as Aro's name passed my lips. It pleased me that they hated him as much as I did. Though Aro was not the one to Bind me, he gave the order and he was the one who set all of the events into motion in the beginning.

I could tell that they both desperately wanted to hug me, but they were restraining themselves, though Esme was on the verge of sobbing. Rosalie, on the other hand, looked like she was ready to tear someone apart and – no matter how little I might like to admit it – I was intrigued, pleased even, by her anger. "We'll be returning, now," I informed them and they nodded.

I focused my thoughts on the throne room in Volterra and we were there in less than a hundredth of a second. Immediately, I went to kneel before Aro, bowing my head as I did so. As always, resentment and fury flared in me, but no sign of it showed in my voice. "Master," I greeted him, hearing his approach.

"Isabella," he said and, using the gift of empathy that I had copied from Jasper, I could feel the irritation flowing from him. "Rise and give me your hand. I would read your mind," Aro said, a pleasant expression on his face despite his growing anger at me. He clearly suspected what I had told them and was displeased by it.

Obediently, I gave him my hand and let him read me. His thoughts and emotions became rage-filled when he saw me telling Esme and Rosalie about the Binding, though his smile never faltered. He was a master of deception, all about appearances.

Once he was finished, he released me and returned to his throne. His expression was pleased but his thoughts were enraged. "Well done, Isabella. It pleases me to have no cause for worry concerning those three traitorous vampires," Aro's words were pleasant and full of happiness, but I could hear his thoughts and feel his emotions, both of which were anything but pleasant.

**Isabella, you should not have told them about the Binding. How dare you defy me by informing them of such a thing without my consent? You will receive a fitting punishment for your impudence. Hm... You gave away something that I did not wish you to, so I shall give away something that you do not enjoy giving, **Aro thought, his mood becoming amused and satisfied. I nearly growled as I saw what he had planned.

"I'm afraid I have another mission for you, mio tesoro," Aro said, a fake apologetic expression covering his features. I felt a flicker of annoyance rise up in me. I hated it when he called me his "darling".

"Of course, Master," I murmured, knowing that I had absolutely no choice in the matter. He would send me if I went without a word, and he would send me if I growled and screamed. It made no difference to him.

"I'd like you to go and... spend some time... with my young friend, Robert," Aro said, a true smile slowly making its way onto his face. I nodded, though I just wanted to rip him apart and burn him slowly. I knew exactly what he meant when he said that he wanted me to "spend some time" with Robert. He _meant_that he wanted me to sleep with Robert.

Aro did this occasionally when I displeased him somehow. He would send me around to some of those he considers his friends who are attracted to me, male or female it made no difference, and he would order me to "spend some time with them". I wondered how long I would be passed from vampire to vampire this time. Last time it was two days; the time before that it was a month. I supposed that I was going to find out.

"Remember, Isabella, I expect you back here in six hours and not a minute before or after," Aro warned me and I nodded.

"Yes, Master," I responded just before I disappeared. Damn it. I hated when Aro made me sleep with all of these different vampires. Well, there was nothing that I could do about it, anyway. I looked up into a pair of bright crimson eyes that filled with lust upon seeing me. Robert. Damn Aro... My eyes narrowed in fury, all thoughts of my mysterious feelings for Rosalie disappearing as the lecherous vampire moved forward.

Rosalie

It had been a week, now, since Esme and I returned with Isabella from her mission to kill the three convicted vampires. We hadn't spoken to her since then, seeing as she was almost constantly out of the castle. I shuddered just from thinking about it.

Each time that Isabella returned to the castle, I could smell a different vampire-scent on her. And I mean it was **on **her, as in _all over_her. Every time, it was the same thing, like clockwork. Isabella was sent to "spend some time" with different friends of Aro's, she was gone for exactly six hours, and she returned smelling of different male vampires and sex.

I growled at my own thoughts. Aro was forcing _my_ mate to go around sleeping with a bunch of bastards that were depraved enough to be friends with him! Damn it! I hated this, but there was nothing that I could do about it! Oh, how I longed to be with her that way, but never the way that he forced her to be with them! I wanted her to want to be with me, and it was unbearable to know what she was going through. I had kept count and she had been with twenty-four vampires in the past seven days...

I looked at the clock as fury and sorrow filled me. Isabella should be returning in just a few moments. It was tearing me apart inside to know that this was happening to my sister. I knew from experience just how horrifying it was to be raped, and that was exactly what this was. Isabella didn't have a choice in the matter, Aro was forcing her to sleep with these men and women! Oh, yes, I could smell both the male and female scents on her… I snarled. He may as well have raped her himself...

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the one voice that I had been waiting to hear. "Master," Isabella greeted him coldly and relief rushed through me. I was in a small study near the throne room, which was why I could hear what was happening.

"Isabella," Aro returned her greeting and I had to choke back a growl before it could escape. "You may return to your chambers. You will not be sent on any more missions for the next few days," he said and I could hear the smug satisfaction in the bastard's voice. I sighed quietly in relief. He was letting her stay here, finally.

I must have gotten lost in my thoughts because I suddenly heard the throne room door open and a pair of light footsteps begin walking down the hallway. Isabella!

I quickly blurred over and opened the door of the room that I was in, and I was just in time to see my mate walking past. I was going to say something, but I had no idea what to say. Isabella turned to face me, her eyes cold though her expression was indifferent. But, at first, I thought I saw… _something_ flash in her onyx orbs.

"Yes, Rosalie?" she asked impassively and I frowned sadly.

"I know," I stated hesitantly and she raised one eyebrow at me, seeming unimpressed, as if daring me to go on. "I know that he's been forcing you to have sex with them," I said, my voice so low that I knew that no one other than Isabella and myself would hear the words, though I had to force the words out.

"And?" Isabella asked and my eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean 'and'? He's been forcing you to sleep with those bastards," I whispered heartbrokenly. It was ripping me apart to know what she was forced to do.

Isabella gave a humorless laugh. "Believe me, it's nothing new. This is Aro's preferred form of punishment for me," she informed me quietly, her expression unchanged, and I flinched. I didn't respond. How could I? What do you say to that?

After a second, Isabella turned and began walking through the hall towards the doors to her rooms, though the doors weren't currently there. Still, I knew that the doors would appear when she neared the space that they sometimes occupied.

We walked in silence until we passed the doors to all of my family's rooms and, as I had known they would, Isabella's doors appeared. Then, I finally broke the silence and spoke.

"Please, Isabella, talk to me. You can't possibly be as unaffected by this as you appear. You know my story, and what you go through must be a thousand times worse than what I suffered since I was only raped once..." I rushed all of the words out without thinking, and instantly regretted it as I heard a gasp come from the room nearest to where Isabella and I were standing.

Damn! I had forgotten that Esme stayed behind when everyone else left the castle to go hunting under Felix's supervision. So, she had just heard everything I said, which meant that she now knew that Isabella had been repeatedly raped. I mean, she had suspected it the same as we all had, but she hadn't wanted to believe it. Now, she was forced to accept it. Damn...

I could hear Esme beginning to dry-sob and I was feeling the urge to do so myself, but I pushed the urge away when Isabella began to speak. "I'll be in my chambers. If you require anything, don't hesitate to ask," she said, much the same way that she had when she first showed us all to our rooms when we arrived in Volterra. She turned and placed one hand on the door knob before continuing. "Oh, and Rosalie?" she asked.

"Yes?" I asked quietly my emotions too chaotic for me to speak at a louder volume even had I wanted to.

She paused for a moment, as though conflicted about whether or not to say anything. "You shouldn't worry so much," she stated calmly, entering her quarters and shutting the door, which promptly disappeared.

I remained where I was, shocked. Sure, she hadn't displayed any emotion when speaking the words, but I could feel that something was the slightest bit different.

I couldn't help but feel slightly hopeful even in the wake of my despair at Isabella's colossal misfortune. Perhaps, just perhaps, Isabella was beginning to change. Maybe… Maybe she might accept me in the end, after all? Once I told her that we were mated, that again, maybe I was reading too much into it... I sighed in frustration before making my way into my mother and father's room, where I found Esme curled up on the bed in the bedroom.

I slowly made my over to the bed and clambered up onto it until I lay facing my mother, who pulled me into her arms as I too began sobbing out all of my anger and sadness. It was just too much to bear. I hated that so much had happened to my lost mate, and I was incapable of doing anything to stop it...

"Esme..." I whimpered and my mother held me tighter as she whispered back, "I know, sweetheart, I know..." We were both devastated and, though I normally wasn't one to show much emotion, I had to admit that both of us needed this emotional release as we broke down into each other's embrace in the way that really only a mother and daughter can. However, I wasn't really relaxed as my mind was full of thoughts about how I could aid my beloved and get her to open up to me, as well as thoughts about Isabella's current emotional and mental state.

Regardless of whether or not Isabella ever changed from her current... _dark_state or not, she was my mate and I loved her. I knew that I had to find a way to help her, or at least get her to speak to me. I just had to. I couldn't stand to see her go through this alone. It was an unspeakably terrible thought, and I felt as though it should be Esme, Alice, or I – or perhaps all three of us – to speak with her.

After all, although she was Isabella's daughter, Renesmee didn't know that Isabella was her mother and so wouldn't feel very inclined to speak with her. Besides that, it would be unforgivable to even think of placing that task upon Nessie's young shoulders. Even though she had recently turned 100, Renesmee was still very innocent and looked it, as she was forever frozen at the tender age of seventeen which was when she stopped aging. No, it couldn't be Renesmee to speak with Isabella.

I would get Esme and Alice to help me, and I knew that they would be just as eager as I to find a way to help Isabella. Oh. Alice...

Esme and I hadn't had a chance to tell the family what we had found out since we had been here. And that meant that, before we could get her to help us, Esme and I would have to explain everything to my other sister. Oh, shit... Alice loved Isabella just as much as Esme and I, so I knew that she would certainly take the news badly, but I also knew that we would need Alice's help to get through to Isabella. Besides, Alice wasn't just Isabella's sister, she was her best friend. So... later, when the family returned, I would find a way to get Esme and Alice alone so that we could talk before figuring out a plan of action.

For now, though, we simply held each other as we shook with tearless sobs for the pain of the one we both (albeit in very different ways) loved...

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: There's the next chapter. You know the drill, let me know what you think as well as any questions, thoughts, ideas etc. Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	10. Telling Alice

**Chapter Ten: Telling Alice**

Alice

I sighed as I slowly ambled down the hall that led to mine and Jasper's chambers. I was still just so… stunned by how much Bella-Isabella had changed. She was so dark and almost… emotionless, now, that I hardly recognized her. And I wanted so desperately to help her. I just didn't know how…

"Alice," Rosalie's soft voice interrupted my musings and I looked up before stopping short in shock. My sister is almost always very cool and collected, but now she looked as though she had been dry sobbing and had just relived every bad memory that she had ever experienced in her entire existence. "Alice…" she repeated my name quietly and I snapped out of my daze.

Immediately, I blurred over to her, reaching out before stopping myself when I realized that I had no idea what to do. "Rosalie, what's wrong?" I I blurted out frantically and she reached out to hold my hands and shook her head slowly.

"Come on. Esme and I have some things that we want to talk to you about. But why are you back early?" she asked as we went into Esme and Carlisle's rooms and headed towards the bedroom.

I sighed. "I just couldn't focus, and I didn't feel like staying out there any longer," I said sadly as Rosalie pulled me to the bed, where I could see my mother sitting there and watching me carefully.

"Alice, darling," Esme greeted me, pulling me into a hug.

My curiosity and suspicion were rising, momentarily dispelling the sadness that's been hovering around me ever since we first arrived in Volterra and saw my best friend. "What's going on?" I asked warily and Esme and Rose glanced at each other, seeming to communicate something before they looked back at me. By now, I had one of them on either side of me with their arms wrapped around me and they gave me a brief squeeze before they answered me.

"It's about... It's about Isabella," Rose said hesitantly and if I wasn't paying full attention before, I was now.

"What about her?" I prompted when she fell silent.

I felt Esme take a deep breath before she answered me. "We found out a little more about Isabella's time spent here. I assume that you know what's been going on when Aro's been sending her out this past week?" she asked lowly, her voice thick with revulsion, and I felt my frozen heart grow a little colder.

"Yes… Yes, I know what that bastard's been making her do," I said shakily. That fucking controlling psychopath has been pretty much giving my sister's body away to his "friends". I shuddered just from thinking about it.

Rosalie sighed. "It's… This isn't the first time that he's done this."

I froze instantly. "W-What?" I stuttered, feeling all of my fury rise up within me once more. "**What. Did. That. Bastard. Do. To. My. Sister?**" I demanded fiercely, clenching my hands into fists at my sides.

Rosalie swallowed and took a deep, though unnecessary, breath. And then she told me everything. She told me about her conversation with Isabella, her perceptions about her behavior, and she gave me all of the specifics about what happened when she and Esme accompanied her on her mission. By the time that she was finished, my entire body was shaking with rage and sadness, and dry sobs were ripping from my chest.

Esme immediately moved me so that I was sitting on her lap and she was rocking me back and forth slowly. "Hush… I know, Alice, I know… We both the feel the same, and we want to try to do something about it. That's why we told you. Any one of us alone won't get very far, but together we have a much better chance at reversing some of the damage that's been done to my poor daughter, alright?" she soothed me and continued to hold me until my sobs gradually lessened before stopping entirely.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth for a moment. I couldn't believe it. I had thought that it was bad before, but that was nothing compared to this. The Volturi, and Aro in particular, had destroyed my best friend. They had made her do unspeakable things and she couldn't even fight back against them thanks to the way that Aro had Bound her. I ground my teeth together for a second before my eyes flashed open, burning with determination. "What should we do, first?" I asked seriously and we were all quiet for a moment, thinking. This was uncharted territory for me, but Rosalie should at least have some kind of general idea. "Rose?"

Rosalie paused for a moment, clearly trying to gather her thoughts before she said anything. "Even though I have been through this before…" she began. "I'm honestly not sure how we should attempt to get through to her. It all depends, but the best thing that I can think of is that we start simply by trying to engage her in a calm conversation and not starting with the main topic. Just start slow," she suggested thoughtfully and, as I could think of nothing better, I was inclined to agree with her.

"I agree. If we push too hard, her indifference may turn to true resentment of us. We just need to let her know that we're there, in the beginning. Then, perhaps we can convince her to open up to us," Esme said tenderly and we all nodded.

"Alice…" Rose trailed off, hesitating for a moment. I tilted my head to the side curiously. "There's one more thing that you should know."

"What is it, Rose?" I asked and she took a deep breath.

"Alice, Isabella is my mate." She barely whispered the words and I froze. Wait…

"What?" I asked, shocked. I'm the future-seer and even I didn't see that one coming. "What do you mean you're her mate?" I whispered incredulously.

"Well, I never really realized it before. Not until she was gone," she admitted and I blinked. Rosalie… was Isabella's mate? I shook my head.

"Okay," I said, nodding once, and she looked relieved.

"Thanks, Alice," she whispered quietly and I smiled at her. That was when we heard it – Isabella's door was opening.

Upon hearing it, we all ran to the door straightaway, opening it to reveal none other than Isabella herself. She was dressed similarly to the way that she had been before. She was wearing fitted black pants, a silver tank top, soft black leather boots, and an ebony Volturi cloak adorned with the same symbol that was engraved on her door. Isabella turned her head to acknowledge us but did not stop, continuing to sweep onward down the hall.

I stood frozen for a moment, overcome with agony and sadness, before I snapped out of it. "Isabella, wait," I called, hurrying to catch up with her with our mother and sister – well, my sister and her mate, even if she didn't know it yet. Hmm… Did she know? – following directly behind me. She stopped this time.

"Yes?" she asked, her tone cool but not disrespectful.

I vacillated for a moment between different options for what I might say, before I realized that she was waiting for an answer. "It's nothing, really. I just wondered if we could talk to you," I said, following behind her as she resumed her journey. It seemed like she was heading towards the Throne Room, judging by the turns that she was taking in the labyrinth of hallways that made up this wing of the castle.

Isabella sighed. "Yes, Alice, you may speak. What is it you wish to speak to me about?" she queried evenly and I couldn't help the small smile that flashed across my face at her calm words.

"Well, I was hoping that you might be willing to talk to me about what it's been like for you to live here," I admitted. "Please?" I waited anxiously for her answer as she shook her head. I could almost feel the annoyance coming off of her, but I still held out hope that she might agree.

"Hope is a rather dangerous thing, Alice. You would do well to be wary of it," Isabella warned me, and I mentally smacked myself as I remembered that she could hear my thoughts. I still sometimes forgot that she wasn't the same person that I had known before. But the true problem was that it was getting harder and harder **to **forget.

_Sorry,_ I apologized mentally and she just shrugged. "What are you…" I began but I never got an opportunity to finish as Aro chose that exact moment to call for my sister.

"Isabella, would you mind joining us in the Throne Room? We have news that we would share with you," Aro's voice was, as always, chipper and enthusiastic, but to me it merely sounded mocking and full of laziness. To be quite honest, I entertained several fantasies of myself ripping his throat out with my bare teeth.

I didn't have long to indulge my thoughts, however, as Isabella instantaneously broke into a run and I, along with Rosalie and Esme, was hard pressed to keep up with her. In less than thirty seconds Isabella reached the Throne Room doors and entered, swiftly moving to kneel before Aro. I clenched my jaw to keep from saying anything, since I knew that no one would take very kindly to anything that I had to say as I saw my sister kneel to the ancient vampire that dared to proclaim himself her _Master_. It didn't take long to figure out that this was how Aro and the other leaders, Marcus and Caius, expected my sister to greet them.

"Master," Isabella said emotionlessly and Aro smirked a bit.

"Esme, Rosalie, Alice how good of you to join us. Rise, my dear. As I said, we have news," Aro said smoothly, his sly crimson eyes dancing with mirth. Isabella stood, but did not respond.

"If I may, what news is there, Aro?" Esme asked, her tone polite, though you could hear the strain in her voice if you listened extremely closely.

Aro's eyes lit up as he turned to face my mother. "Why, Esme, I'm delighted that you asked. Someone very dear to me shall be returning, and I wished Isabella to be here to greet them as she usually does," he said, most definitely **too **happily, and Isabella tensed. I didn't know why they did, but the fact that Aro's words unsettled my sister – who I would now count as one of the most composed people that I'd ever met – was enough to make me realize that there was a hidden danger in the Volturi King's words.

"And may I ask who?" I asked calmly, forcing myself not to growl or flinch away when Aro's eyes snapped to bore into mine as he smiled.

He chuckled. "Isabella, come here," he instructed, striding forward so that he stood barely five feet away from us, and she instantly went to his side.

He must have seen my sister, mother, and my confusion as he laughed lightly once more. "_Un momento. _A moment, my dear Cullens. Your question shall be answered soon enough," he said easily, reaching out for Isabella's left hand. This did nothing to lessen my confusion, until he spoke again once more and my confusion was displaced by horrified realization.

"If you would, _mio tesoro_. Remove the illusion, please," Aro requested and I felt my entire body freeze in place. Illusion… On her left hand… No. No, absolutely not! Not that… I could feel that I was right, though, and it was killing me. These was a brief wavering around Isabella's left hand, and then it was there. There, sitting on her ring finger just as I'd been afraid, was a white-gold ring with five small diamonds set in it. The center one was larger than the others and it was the clearest diamond that I'd ever seen. The two on either side of it were slightly smaller and they were the color of rubies; again, they were incredibly beautiful. Lastly, the outer two diamonds looked the same as the center one, but they were the same size as the two red diamonds. All in all, it was the most stunning ring that I had ever seen, but that did nothing to soothe the pieces of my shattered heart and confounded mind. Isabella was married. But…

"Who?" I didn't realize that I'd spoken aloud until I saw Aro's smile grow a bit wider. I cleared my throat to attempt to regain my calm façade. When it occurred to me that I'd spoken my thought aloud, even I had been struck by how palpable the pain in my voice was, though Isabella gave no reaction whatsoever to my reaction (or Esme and Rosalie's. Shit! Rosalie! Oh… ouch) to the bomb that Aro had just dropped on us.

Aro grinned like a little boy in a candy store before shaking his head. It looked as though he was going to speak, but before he could we all heard the noise of a door opening and then the sound of footsteps approaching. "It looks as though I won't have to tell you, after all. You're about to meet him for yourselves," he said cheerfully, moving back to sit and lounge on his throne. "Isabella, your orders are as usual," he said casually and she growled lowly, shocking me. I turned to look at my two family members and they were just as surprised as I was. After all that we had seen and learned in our short time here, it seemed almost inconceivable that she would do such a thing, but she did.

Then, she turned to face the door and Esme, Rose, and I followed suit. I wanted so very badly to ask my sister the multitude of questions that were swirling in my mind, but there was no time and this wasn't the place for it, anyway. The footsteps were drawing closer and closer, until I began to count the seconds until this man's arrival. 3… he was almost here. 2… Argh! I haven't even met and don't know who he is, but I already want to kill him… 1… Damn Volturi forcing my sister to marry against her will. 0… here we go, time to meet the monster that Aro forced Isabella to wed…

The double doors burst open to reveal him, and despite all of my anger and rage I nearly gasped. He stood tall at a height which was obviously above six feet. He had night-dark hair, as well as the expected crimson eyes and flawless alabaster skin. All of these things combined to make him quite literally the most handsome man that I had ever laid eyes on, though not even his good looks could surpass Isabella's and Rosalie's.

But none of that was what almost made me gasp aloud. It was the sheer… **coldness **of his gaze. It was as if he was determining all of the different ways that he could kill you and evaluating which would bring him the most enjoyment, all in a single glance.

He strode in with all of the arrogance and cockiness of the young god he looked to be. He stopped when he stood a mere foot away from my sister, and we were all still frozen where we stood and utterly unable to move our eyes from the pair. "Hello, Isabella. Did you miss me?" he smirked.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Ouch. Poor Rose just found out that her mate was forced to marry another man! What do you think's going to happen next? Review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	11. Revelations and Implicatications

**Chapter Eleven: Shocking Revelations and Terrible Implications**

Rosalie

As Isabella turned to face the doors, we all turned with her. I was practically seething with rage at this point while at the same time I was beyond depressed, but I still had enough sense to be fearful. Whoever this vampire was, he was sure to be incredibly powerful. The only true question was: who was it? The approaching footsteps drew nearer and I tensed in anticipation of seeing the unworthy parasite that _my_ mate had been made to marry. 3… 2… 1…

The doors burst open, swinging wide to admit the most stunning man that I had ever seen. He was gorgeous with his dark hair, pale skin, and tall, lithe frame. But if I had my way I would never have come within s hundred feet of him. Because, although he was extraordinarily handsome even by vampire standards – his good looks were bested only by mine and his… _**wife's**_– and most women would fall at his feet, I could see and feel all of the… Darkness and frigidity that rolled off of him in waves. And I hated him, loathed him for his trespasses against my mate, my one and only true love.

He strode forward until he stood before Isabella and when he spoke I could barely restrain my growl. "Hello, Isabella. Did you miss me?" he asked with a smirk, and then he – and I would have pounced on him for it instantly had I not been frozen in place by shock and fury – he stepped forward and kissed her. And I don't mean a typical 'hello' kiss. I mean the kind of kiss that a couple would usually only share in the privacy of their own bedroom. His arms wound around her waist, disappearing beneath her cloak, and he held her that way for an immeasurable amount of time before he finally released her.

I expected Isabella to be just as enraged as I, more so in fact. So, my shock was considerable when she did speak. "Welcome home, Lucifer," Isabella replied to his former greeting and her tone was no different from before. The only difference was that now it was filled with an underlying… **obedience **that I had never heard from her before, even when she spoke with Aro.

Then I registered his name. _Lucifer_? In my mind, I laughed bitterly. _How apt. He certainly seems to wear it well. He has the appearance of the brightest being that there is, yet I can see past it to the primal darkness that dominates the core of his being…_ My anger and sadness was almost overwhelming, but I was frozen. There was no course of action that I could take without getting myself and my family killed, perhaps even by Isabella herself if Aro ordered it.

Lucifer smirked once more and turned to face the three Kings. "Aro," he nodded and Aro smiled, looking as eccentric and overly-happy as ever.

Aro replied in a gleeful tone of voice, "Lucifer, my son, welcome back to the castle." Wait. Son?! Aro has a son? This vampire, who looks like some kind of demonic angel, is Aro's son? Lucifer is Aro's son. Isabella is married to Lucifer. Isabella is married to Aro's son! I gasped in horror before I could stop myself. Oh. My. God. That would mean… Aro is Isabella's father-in-law… I shook my head quickly. My mind was spinning from all of the implications of this new information and I felt myself shiver in horror and disgust.

Lucifer turned to face Esme, Alice, and I. "Ah, I see that the Cullens are here," he said amusedly, although his eyes remained cold and calculating. "Hm…" he hummed, seeming to think about something before he faced Isabella and raised one eyebrow. I didn't understand it, but I assumed that he had just requested something of her in his mind. She merely bowed her head for a moment before lifting a hand and flicking her wrist. Immediately, the Throne Room appeared to be warped for a moment before the image settled. I noticed almost immediately what had changed.

Now, instead of three thrones, there were four. The fourth throne was shaped like the others, but its color was of pure onyx. Lucifer turned and sauntered up to the throne before lounging on it gracefully, and he struck me as a tyrannical king who thought himself invulnerable and eternally secure in his position. I could only hope that both the former and the latter were false. He then cocked his head to the side and a devilish smile appeared on his face as he crooked one finger towards him. Isabella immediately disappeared, only to reappear being held firmly on his lap less than a hundredth of a second later. And again, I had to force back a growl. How dare he touch _my _mate that way?

Lucifer's expression grew almost excessively haughty as he wound his arms around her until they rested intimately low on her waist. I looked to Isabella. Her expression was the same as ever, but for one thing: her eyes. Her eyes held an incumbent wariness that I hadn't seen in her since that dark day a century ago. You could almost compare the look in her eyes to that of a caged panther whose every move was coordinated by its handlers, while it was utterly unable to resist their commands. A small shiver ran down my spine at the thought.

"My dear Cullens, I would consult with my son in private and I believe that the rest of your family should be returning within the half hour. If you don't mind, I would ask you to await their arrival from within your own chambers," Aro spoke his 'request' politely, although no one would ever believe that it was anything but a command really.

Esme nodded, although I could see how much it pained her to do so. "Of course, Aro. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Lucifer," Esme said politely, nodding her head at **him. **One side of his mouth twitched up and he returned her nod. "Come along, girls," Esme instructed quietly as she turned and led us out.

My entire being rebelled against me with each step that I took, but I knew that there was nothing that I could do to help my mate, not yet. Still, no matter how true that was, it felt like I was experiencing the burn of the change with each and every step. Truly, if vampires could go into shock, I was fairly certain that I would have by now. I shook my head. How much more could Isabella possibly endure before she gave in? Some might argue that she already had, but I didn't think so and the way that she growled at Aro from just the **mention **of Lucifer's return only cemented my belief that she was not yet completely lost to our family, lost to _me_. Yet I could only hope that she would last long enough for us to somehow find a way to release her from her imprisonment here, and begin to really help her. I sighed. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that it was going to be a while before we could do that.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Sorry! I know that it's been a while since I updated and that this is a really short chapter, but I feel like I need to really organize my thoughts a little better before I continue. Anyway, despite how short it is, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to update soon, but I want to make sure that I get it right, first. :) And now I just want to say thanks to everyone who's been keeping up with the story. You guys are awesome! :D Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	12. Family Meeting

**Chapter Twelve: Family Meeting**

Rosalie

I paced restlessly around my parents room. I still couldn't believe it. Married. Isabella is married. Isabella is married to Aro's son. It was... Unbelievable.

I looked up at the sound of the door opening, forcing myself to stop my compulsive wandering. It looked like the family had returned from hunting. I thought for a moment and made my decision in a split second. It was time that they knew. They all had to know, all except for Renesmee.

I sighed and then gave a small smile. "Welcome back," I greeted them quietly, trying to decide what might be the best way to tell them. But I knew it had to be done. Isabella was my mate and I wasn't going to shy away from anything that could help me get her out of this place.

"I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, everyone," Renesmee said to everyone before departing the rooms. Edward and Tanya made to follow her after a moment, but I flashed over to the door to block their way.

"Wait," I ordered quietly and, although they wore annoyed expressions, they remained where they were.

We stood there, waiting, for an immeasurable time. It could have been five minutes or five hours, but eventually I heard what I had been waiting for. Renesmee's breathing and heartbeat both slowed until I was certain that she was asleep. I waited another ten minutes until she was deep asleep and there was little chance that she would wake. Everyone still stood in exactly the same place that they had before. I moved back to lean against the door, Edward sighed in annoyance, and the rest of the family unfroze as well.

Edward growled lowly. "Alright, Rosalie, what's the meaning of this?" he questioned irritably and I scowled at him. He was such a self-centered bastard, but he didn't matter now.

"We, all of us, need to discuss the situation," I stated firmly and Tanya rolled her eyes, dragging Edward over to one of the couches and sitting down.

"Have you found something out, Rosalie?" Carlisle asked, and I could hear the mixture of hope and concern in his voice. My "father" was usually one of the most even-tempered people that I had ever met, but once he heard about what Isabella had been through…

I shook my head. "Not here. Follow me," I said, turning and leading them quickly and silently out the door and through the castle. We wound through the different corridors and passageways until we reached a point deep in the castle's recesses. We had gone so far that I could no longer hear any movement – and so far that no one would be able to hear us as we spoke, which was exactly the point.

I turned to face my family, glancing at Esme and Alice as I did so, and they came to stand on either side of me. "We have found some things out," I began carefully. "I assume that we all know what's been going on for the last week?" When I spoke those words, the faces of the entire family darkened – all except for Tanya and Edward.

Carlisle's voice was strained when he spoke again. "Yes, we know," he said roughly. I knew how he felt. It was his daughter that was being forced to go through this, but she was my mate.

Alice took a deep breath from beside me. "Well, that's not all. Isabella… She's different, now. A lot has changed. She's changed," she said quietly.

"What do you mean? I mean, I know that she seems different, but it's just these stupid Volturi. They'll let her go eventually, right?" Emmett asked hesitantly, but with a serious air surrounding him. He may usually appear somewhat simple and childlike, but what most people don't realize is that he can be quite serious when the situation calls for it. He's not as stupid as he appears. He just has such a big heart and young spirit that it downplays his intelligence, and I love him for it. And I know that it's going to break his heart to find out what his little sister, his Bella-bear, has been through. We may not be mates anymore, but I love him dearly as my brother.

I sighed and shook my head slowly. "No, Em, they won't. They're never going to let her go," I said softly and I saw the worry and anger in my family's eyes.

"I've never seen any vampire with as much power as Isabella has. If she's really and truly determined to go, can they really hope to stop her?" Jasper asked thoughtfully, no doubt already formulating different strategies of escape.

I paused at that, unsure of how to explain, but fortunately Esme noticed my conflict and decided to step in. "In a way, yes, they can. She, quite literally, can't leave," Esme started and everyone just seemed to get more confused, not that I blamed them. "We asked her about it, and she explained it to us. There is an ancient vampire ceremony called the Binding. It's when one vampire Binds another to them. And the ceremony gives the Binding vampire complete control over the Bound vampire. Simply put, it's utter and absolute slavery," she finished shakily.

I could see comprehension beginning to dawn on my family's faces but they still didn't fully understand the significance of what my mother-figure had just said. "Aro had his son to Bind Isabella to him. She has no choice but to obey their every command. **That's **why she can't leave," I frowned as the words left my mouth.

It was clear that Carlisle wanted to interrupt at that point, but Alice stopped him before he could. "Yes, you heard right. Aro has a son. His name is Lucifer," she said sharply and our father-figure appeared shocked, most likely because he had lived with the Volturi before and was surprised that he hadn't known that.

"How did you find that out?" Jasper asked his mate and Alice took a deep breath before replying. This wouldn't be easy for them to hear, but it was necessary.

"Because Aro forced Isabella to marry him. He's Isabella's husband," she responded quietly, her eyes reflecting the sorrow that everyone but Tanya and Edward were feeling. I decided that I would wait until the end to tell them my news. It had been too long, and they had a right to know as both my family and hers.

"But… if he forced her to marry his son, then what about this past week?" Emmett questioned with disgust clear in his voice, undoubtedly a product of the memory of being forced to stand by idly as Aro used his little sister as a vampire prostitute.

My voice was dark as I replied to my brother's query. "He sends her to sleep with his 'friends' as a punishment, until he decides that she's learned her lesson," I growled lowly, taking in everyone's reactions as I said this.

Alice and Esme, having known this beforehand, reacted with a deep sorrow and grief, as well as a fiery anger and hatred for Aro which burned in their eyes as they stood by their mates.

Carlisle hissed involuntarily, his eyes darkening despite the recent hunt, and his hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides. But it was his eyes that most betrayed his reaction. They were furious, disgusted, sorrowful, and… helpless, probably because he had been unable to prevent his youngest daughter's suffering.

Jasper appeared to be… suffering. I was sure that he was being nearly overwhelmed by the strength and range of the emotions of the others in the room right now, as well as his own fury and sadness over his little sister's plight. I had to admire him for his strength in times like these, and I could quite truthfully say that I didn't envy him when our family was in such a passionate state.

Tanya, the bitch that she was, seemed disinterested and I didn't doubt that she was. The only way that she would show even the slightest interest in my mate was if Isabella decided that she wanted Edward back – something that I didn't see happening anytime soon and neither would Alice, I was sure, even if Isabella wasn't blocking her gift. Even if she didn't feel it right now, I still held out hope that she would discover her feelings for me as her mate.

I paused before looking to Edward. I'm not sure what I expected his reaction to be, but no matter what I may have expected this definitely wasn't it. He was… indifferent, at least on the surface. He stood unmoved from where he had been leaning against the wall, looking towards a dark corner, his face completely expressionless. Like… Like he didn't care at all. It was disgusting, and – whether she was my mate or not – I couldn't help myself.

"Edward," I called his name sharply and he turned his head slowly to look at me.

"Yes?" he asked calmly and my fury began to build, slowly but surely, at his nonchalance when receiving news like this, whether they were divorced or not.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Is that all that you have to say after everything that Alice, Esme, and I just said?" I asked incredulously. I knew that he was an arrogant prick, but…

He raised one eyebrow at me before shrugging. "What do you want me to say?" Edward retorted. "It's her life. I don't really – "

I cut him off by pouncing on him and pinning him to the wall that he was leaning against. I could hear my family growling from behind me, but I barely noticed it over my own fury and indignity on my sister's behalf. "Don't! Don't you **dare** say that you don't care! Edward, you love!" I paused to correct myself and attempt to reign in my fury in favor of a more calm demeanor. "Loved her. You lovedher. Does the fact that the two of you are divorced and you moved on mean that you can't find it in yourself to even care about her anymore? Despite the fact that she's Renesmee's mother and did all of this for her and your daughter? Because if that's true, then I have no idea who the hell you are anymore. Because you're certainly not the brother I once knew. From what I can tell, he's far gone," I said calmly, releasing him and flitting to Emmett's side. I was gratified to realize that the bronze-haired jackass had a thoughtful and slightly troubled look on his face. Good, maybe he'll stop being such a damn idiot… Or not. Fury flickered in his eyes.

"Why do you care?!" he spat at me and I couldn't hold back the hiss that slipped out. I also couldn't stop the words that burst from my mouth, next.

"Because she's my mate!" I growled at him and he froze… at the same moment that everyone but Esme and Alice did.

"What?" he demanded incredulously and I swallowed just a little. I hadn't meant to tell them that way, but in the end it really didn't matter. She was my mate, and that was all that truly mattered.

Jasper smiled at me. "I'm happy for you, Rose. Now," he began, directing the family's attention back to the issue at hand. "We need to get Isabella out of here."

"So, what are we going to do?" Emmett asked seriously, and we all paused at that. The question echoed in my mind. **What are we going to do? **I certainly didn't know and it didn't seem like anyone else did either. After that, we lapsed into silence.

I didn't know how long we stood there unmoving, but eventually it occurred to me that we should get back before my niece woke and realized that we were gone. I voiced my thoughts and everyone agreed that we should head back. We all turned and began retracing our steps back to the part of the castle that held our chambers, and as we trotted through the halls, a few things were evident to me.

First, I had no idea what we could to help Isabella when Aro could make her fight against us every step of the way, with just a single word or thought, if he wished to. Second, we needed to find a way to let Renesmee know the truth of what was going on here, but I was clueless as to how we could explain to her that her mother had given up her freedom, her family, her everything – just to protect her, all without making her feel guilty about it. And third, I had to figure out a way to get Isabella to open up to me about everything that had happened, when she no longer held any true affection for me or the rest of the family, excluding her daughter. All in all, I had my work cut out for me. But I would persist, because if it meant that I and the rest of my family could get Isabella back, get my mate and one true love back, then it was worth it.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	13. Repetition

**Chapter Thirteen: Repetition**

Isabella

Normally, things change. People change. Situations change. Everything changes. Nothing stays the same and life goes on. But nothing about my "life" is normal. Nothing changes – ever.

Each time that Lucifer is in the castle, everything happens the exact same way. He finds it necessary to remind me that I belong to him, every once in a while, so he'll return. He'll come back and to the rest of the world, even the rest of the Volturi, he will appear to be the most perfect and caring husband. And they'll fall for it – all of them. Except for me. Because when we're alone he shows his true nature and none of the pretty words and priceless jewels in all the world could make me believe his lies as the rest of them do.

Still, there's nothing to be done about it, so I shouldn't dwell on it. Of far greater importance is what's happening now. After he spoke with the Brothers for a while he brought me here, to his bedroom which we're just entering, his hand on my lower back.

_Here we go again…_

As the door swings shut, Lucifer moves around me and walks towards the bedroom, expecting me to follow behind him. And I do because I don't have a choice in the matter and I know it. He stops when he reaches the bed, turning around and lounging against it while eyeing me, his eyes cold full of lust.

He cocks one eyebrow at me as I stand before him. "So, the Cullens are here," he comments, watching me closely for any reaction I may have. His eyes widen when he finds none. "What, aren't you happy to see them?" he asks mockingly. "Answer me!" he commands when I remain silent.

His voice is loud but I don't flinch. I'm used to it. "No, I'm not happy that they're here," I respond monotonously. _Though I am happy to be able to see her, and Rosalie… I'm not sure what it is that she brings out in me, but I am… glad… to see her, _I amend silently. It's true that I am, for the most part, indifferent to their presence here, but I am glad to be able to at least see my daughter for the first time in almost a century – even if the place that I'm seeing her **is **hell.

Lucifer smirks. "Perhaps that's true, but know this… If you attempt to defy me in any way whilst they are here…" he trailed off, standing and crossing his arms over his chest. "They will pay the price."

I was about to respond but it turns out that he wasn't quite finished yet.

"Especially that pretty little daughter of yours that I've heard about," he laughed coldly and I snapped. He could threaten the rest, but not her… Never her.

I snarled, crouching down and coiling into an offensive position. "Leave her out of this!" I growled. Hmm… In retrospect, it may not have been the best idea.

Instantly, he leaped forward and pinned me against the wall next to the doorway, while at the same time enforcing his will over mine through the Bond. Damn bastard. As Aro's biological son, the Bond gave him just as much power over me as Aro himself had. "Listen well bitch. You will not address me in that manner! You think to tell me what to do?! I do not think so! You will know your place!" he roared, spinning and leaping forward so that we both landed on the massive bed that dominated the center of the room. Mentally he commanded me, **You will not fight back. You ****will ****comply with whatever I say or do! **His voice whipped through my mind in a torrent of rage and I could do nothing to stop it.

He reached down and tore both my cloak and my shirt from my body in the same movement before doing the same with my pants and underwear, throwing them all to the side. I longed to snarl and claw and bite as he stared down at my nearly bare upper body with a lustful gaze. But I was powerless to do anything to stop him, and that was the absolute worst part.

I blocked out the rest, shutting down and going back to my hell turned sanctuary. The darkness that I endured for untold amounts of time, that purgatory had become my reprieve at moments such as these. Lucifer could dominate my body and even my actions, but he would not dictate my thoughts.

I didn't know how long I endured his toxic presence inside my body, but it wasn't short enough – it never was. When he was finished, he pulled away from me with a haughty laugh and a derisive snort. "Go and clean yourself up, slut. You can go and return your room, my _dearest wife_," he said, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and condescension. "I'll call for you if I require your services again," he dismissed me.

I gritted my teeth, but complied without complaint, choosing to simply teleport into my bedroom, rather than summoning a set of clothes and walking back to my room. I was coming back out of the darkness now, locking it away in the back of my mind, where I kept it chained.

I shook my head and took a deep breath, the numbness creeping back over me. I welcomed it. I needed it. Because it was all I had left, really. I turned mechanically and turned on the shower as hot as it would go before stepping in. I bathed myself regularly, but I knew: I would never really be able to wash away what Lucifer did to me, because it was imprinted in my mind forever and because it was inevitable. It would happen again and again, and the process would continue to repeat.

Some people fear change, but they're wrong. It's not change that they should fear – it's repetition.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Just a short chapter for you all. Once again I apologize for the long wait. I want to say thanks to all of the readers! Now, review and tell me what you think!**


	14. Not Alone

**Chapter Fourteen: Not Alone**

Esme

It's been about a week now since Isabella's… _husband _arrived, and we still haven't had the chance to speak with her one on one yet. He always has her with him. That, or she's out of the castle on missions.

I shake my head and sigh, looking up from where I stand on one of the outdoor balconies that are connected to the currently deserted library. The stars are out, but the moon is dark. A new moon…

If I were a more superstitious person I might see it as a sign. A new moon, a new chance, a change… I frown slightly. We haven't been able to speak with Isabella yet, but I don't know what to say to her when we finally do.

What do I start with? Her Bond with Aro? Her marriage to his son? Her… _punishments_? My eyes fall shut of their own volition. All I want is to have my daughter back. That's all that I ask for, but I'm clueless as to how to achieve that goal.

She's so different now. She's suffered terribly and it's changed her. And I'm not sure that things could ever go back to the way that they were. But if that's the price that I have to pay in order to get her back, then I'll pay it. I'll pay it a thousand times over. "I just want my daughter back," I breathe quietly.

"You're not alone in your wish to save her," a voice behind me commented and my eyes snapped open. I whirled to face… Jane and Alec?

I froze. What were they doing here? What did they mean that I wasn't alone in my wish? What…

Jane's voice interrupted my inner monologue. "It's alright, Esme. We're not going to betray you to Aro. We…" she hesitated.

"We want to help. We want to see her become the person that she's supposed to be, rather than the person that Aro and Lucifer have forced her to become," Alec finished, watching my expression carefully.

I was shocked, to say the least. I never would have expected this from them, but… My heart swelled slightly with hope. "You would truly help?" I asked, not without some trepidation. These were the famous "witch twins" after all…

They both nodded. "Yes, we do want to help. We've been with the Volturi ever since woke to this new life, but…" Alec trailed off and Jane finished his thought. "It's time for a change. But there is one thing that we ask in exchange for our help," Jane said and I paused to wonder what they could possibly want before I decided that, as long as they helped me get my daughter back, I didn't care.

I nodded. "What is it that you want?" I ask curiously and they exchange a glance.

"We want to come with you when you leave," Alec informs me and my mouth falls open slightly. What?

I draw in a breath. "You want to come with us?" I ask, confused and Alec nods.

"Yes, please. We've grown tired of all of the violence and corruption of this place, and we wish to make a new start. However, we have no wish to be alone," Jane confessed and pity shook me. The two of them couldn't have been but 15 years old when they were changed. They may be ancient vampires, but they were still only children at heart. In that instant, I knew my decision.

"Of course you may come with us," I said kindly. "We would be happy to have you," I smile softly as I speak and their eyes widen at my words.

"Really?" they ask excitedly and I nod. They grin and launch themselves at me.

"Thank you," they both whisper before releasing me and moving back a step. I can tell that they don't have much friendly physical contact with anyone but each other from the way that they appear slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed about having hugged me.

I smile gently. "You're most welcome. If you don't mind…" I hesitate and Jane cocks her head slightly to the right.

"Yes?" she prompts and I take a deep breath.

"Could you tell me what it was like when she first arrived here?" I whisper the words, barely capable of speaking them at all, so great is my fear of the answer that I may receive.

They both pause and frown slightly. "Very well," Alec nods slowly. "But only if you're certain."

"It's not a pretty tale, and we can only share what we know," Jane warns me, but I don't hesitate. I have to know what my daughter went through, no matter how much it may hurt me to hear it. Besides, if she could bear _living _it, then I should most certainly be able to bear _hearing _about it.

I nod determinedly. "I'm sure. I just…" I pause as I wonder how I can possibly explain the feeling that runs through my cold, still veins. "I have to know," I say simply and they nod, wearing identical sad smiles on their lovely young faces.

"Aro is a very possessive man, and he wants nothing less than absolute dominion over those things and people who he considers his property," Alec began, his voice even but his eyes darkening slightly.

"And he needed to have power over Isabella. He needed to break her and Bind her to him. But Lucifer wasn't in the castle at the time. So, he secluded her. He left her locked in a room, completely without light or sustenance of any kind for… a very long time," Jane said darkly and my cold dead heart gave a painful squeeze in my chest.

"What happened?" I asked fearfully and Alec took a deep breath as he prepared to answer me.

"Do you know what the Binding is?" he asked cautiously, and I shuddered at the memory of Isabella's explanation. I nodded 'yes'. "Of course, you don't know the full extent of how it's done, exactly."

I froze when he said that. What did he mean? How could it possibly be done? What did that monster do to my daughter?

Jane clenched her jaw. "Lucifer arrived almost six months after Aro locked Isabella in that room. But she still wasn't let out. They left her in there, in the darkness, for years," she hissed softly, and I felt my eyes widen in horror.

"It's not only that, though. Compared the Binding, the pain of the change is nothing, completely inconsequential. There is no pain greater than the feeling of becoming Bound. She endured that, as well as her thirst, for years," Alec told me quietly.

"What – " My voice broke, and I had to clear my throat before I could go on. "What happened, after she was let out?" I asked, feeling as though I would be crying a river of tears if only it were possible.

"After that… he owned her. They both did," Alec said softly, his eyes clearly showing how very disturbed he was by the whole thing. "And after that, well…" he trailed off, exchanging a glance with his twin. I braced myself. I wasn't sure how much more I could take, but, if my daughter could live through it, then the least that I could do was listen to it…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, the Cullens have allies – Jane and Alec no less! I hope everyone enjoys the twist. :) Anyways, I hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter! Thanks to all of the readers! You guys are awesome! Now, reviews please!**

**Also, I want to recommend one of the stories for which I'm the Beta. The story is called "Choices" and if you're not already reading it then you definitely should check it out because it's freaking amazing! Alright, later everyone! :P**


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